Cupcake Frosting Recipe (VIDEO) (2024)

This fluffy whipped cream and cream cheese frosting is the perfect cupcake frosting. This vanilla frosting is easy, lightly sweet, pipes beautifully, and keeps well in the refrigerator.

This is our go-to frosting for our Perfect Vanilla Cupcakes. A single recipe will frost 24 cupcakes but it’s easy to double the recipe if you’re making a big batch for a birthday party.

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Watch Cupcake Frosting Video Tutorial:

This frosting pipes so beautifully onto cupcakes, cakes and even cookies! I used the Wilton 1M Tip with a large piping bag. These 3 piping tips are the only ones I use for frosting cupcakes. Watch the video below. If it doesn’t load, be sure your ad blocker is turned off.

Homemade Cupcake Frosting is Best!

Flashback: as a child, I used to hide in the pantry and sneak spoonfuls of canned frosting [gross]; there’s something about the store-bought one that was just terribly irresistible. Maybe all those fabulous chemicals? Well, take that irresistible trait, minus the chemicals, and you get this frosting.

It also stays put pretty well in the fridge for, well, mine has been in there a week and I’ll go poke my finger in it. Be right back……… ok that’s just ridiculous. It’s still good!

Ingredients for Vanilla Frosting:

Combining cream cheese and whipped cream creates a soft and airy frosting that keeps its shape when piped. Make it once and you will make it over and over.

• Cream Cheese – should be softened at room temp, but not overly soft. If cream cheese is too soft, the frosting will end up runnier and won’t have that brilliant white color
• Powdered Sugar – also known as confectioners sugar, adds sweetness and helps build texture
• Heavy Whipping Cream – make sure it’s labeled HEAVY which has a 35-38% fat content
• Real Vanilla Extract – the flavor of real vanilla can’t be beat

How to Make the Cupcake Frosting:

Cooks Tip: For best results with whipped cream, freeze your mixing bowl and whisk attachment 10-15 minutes before using. Also, keep the heavy whipping cream refrigerated until ready to use.

1. Whip the cream on high speed with an electric hand mixer (1-2 minutes) until thick, fluffy and spreadable.
2. In a second mixing bowl, using a hand mixer, beat cream cheese and powdered sugar (start on low speed unless you want to be standing in a cloud of powdered sugar), then beat in 1 tsp vanilla extract.
3. Fold the whipped cream into the cream cheese mix.

That’s it! Just three steps and you’ve nailed it! Keep it covered in the fridge until ready to use on these Vanilla Cupcakes, our moist Chocolate Cupcakes, or even these super fluffy Pumpkin Cupcakes.

Tips for Making the Best Cream Cheese Frosting:

• Use a full-fat cream cheese for the best taste and texture (avoid low-fat). Soften cream cheese inside of it’s packaging at room temperature for 1 to 2 hours.
• Heavy whipping cream which has a higher fat content and will whip much easier. Avoid “whipping cream” or “light cream.”
• Make Sure Heavy Cream is Chilled until ready to use. Cold cream will whip up better.
• Don’t cut the sugar too much. We have tested with 1 1/2 cups powdered sugar which works but if you take out more, the texture will be affected.

Can I Use this to Frost A Cake?

You’ll fall in love with this frosting and naturally, you’ll want to use it on all your desserts. This makes enough frosting for a 2-layer, 9-inch cake. If you want a super generous amount of frosting, or if working with a 4-layer cake, you can make 1 1/2 times the recipe.

More Frosting Recipes:

If you love to change up your cupcake frosting, try these top-rated frosting recipes. We have everything from rich chocolate frostings to marshmallow-soft creams.

• Swiss Meringue Buttercream Frosting – the flavor and texture are heavenly
• Chocolate Frosting – decadent but light with cream cheese
• White Chocolate Frosting – adding melted white chocolate is genius
• Chocolate Ganache – use it as a glaze or whip it into the best frosting

We first published this recipe in June 2012. We re-photographed and added new photos. After much testing, we now use 2 cups of powdered sugar instead of 1 1/2 since it gave the cream a better structure.