Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Whipped cream cheese frosting is a thick, stabilized frosting made with cream cheese, heavy cream and powdered sugar. Sweetened with vanilla or citrus zest, this is the perfect frosting for cupcakes and cakes.

A cupcake with the wrapped pulled down is topped with berries

Easy Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

I am a huge fan of homemade whipped cream. Once you master this technique, the flavor combination are endless.

This whipped cream cheese frosting is perfect for topping cakes and cupcakes. It pipes well and also makes the most amazing fruit dip. You’ll get a little bit of tang from the cream cheese but as opposed to cream cheese frosting, this one is much much lighter, fluffier, and far less sweet.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Easy: With only 4 ingredients, this whipped cream cheese frosting comes together with just a few steps.
Perfectly sweet: Because this frosting isn’t overly sweet it’s ideal for pairing with sweeter desserts and fruits. Use this one when you want a touch of tang to offset the sweetness of the other components in your dish.
Holds its shape: Stabilized whipped cream holds its shape, often referred to as stiff peaks. It also won’t melt or wilt once it’s been used. When properly prepared, this frosting is very stable.
Flexible: Pipe it on top of cakes and cupcakes, serve it with pancakes, or even fill a bowl with this simple frosting and serve it with sliced fruit.

A piping bag is frosting a cupcake with whipped cream cheese frosting

Ingredients You’ll Need

You’ll only need 4 simple ingredients to make this recipe. Here’s a quick look at what you’ll need. Be sure to scroll down to the recipe card for a printable list.

Full-fat cream cheese- make sure it’s the block cream cheese and that it’s cold not room temperature.
Heavy Whipping Cream– it needs to be cold as well.
Powdered Sugar
Pure Vanilla Extract– this can be substituted with a fresh fruit zest or another flavor of extract

What Makes This Different From a Traditional Cream Cheese Frosting?

Consistency: This frosting consistency is similar to whipped cream.
Texture: It’s very light and fluffy vs. cream cheese frosting which is heavier and denser.
Taste: It’s much less sweet than cream cheese frosting and less tangy.

How to Make Whipped Cream Cheese Frosting

Chill the bowl: Start with a cold bowl and the whisk attachment, which helps to keep your ingredients cold. Chill for 5-10 minutes in the freezer or the refrigerator.
Beat the cream cheese: Start with cold cream cheese. Beat the cream cheese, scraping down the bowl frequently until it’s free of lumps.
Slowly add the heavy cream: Slowly start adding about 1/4 cup the heavy cream until it is incorporated into the cream cheese and resembles a liquid mixture. Doing this slowly helps prevent a lumpy whipped cream.

This whipped cream cheese frosting is made with cream cheese, heavy cream, and powdered sugar. It's perfect for cakes, cupcakes & more! — The cream cheese should turn to a liquid consistency before adding all the heavy cream

Add the remaining cream: Proceed to add the rest of the heavy cream and increase the speed to medium high- high and continue beating until soft peaks form. Soft peaks mean that you can run a knife through it but it doesn’t quite hold a shape.
Add the powdered sugar: Next, add the powdered sugar and any extracts or zested fruit and continue beating on high until stiff peaks form. Soft peaks mean that you can run a knife through it and it won’t cave in on itself.

A glass mixing bowl with whipped cream cheese frosting — Stiff Peaks

Troubleshooting Tips

If you found yourself with a soupy frosting or one that did not fully set, there might be a couple of contributing factors.

Ingredients must be cold. Including the cream cheese.
Did you use the right type of cream cheese? It should be a block full-fat cream cheese. Philadelphia is my preferred brand.
Did you add the powdered sugar at the right time? The whipped cream should be beaten until soft peaks form before adding the powdered sugar
Did you beat the frosting for long enough? Oftentimes, the frosting will not hold up if you did not beat it for long enough.

Ways to Use Your Frosting

In addition to cakes, cupcakes and pancakes, you can also use this frosting to make cookie sandwiches or as a layer in a fruit parfait. Also, here are some recipes that use whipped cream cheese frosting:

How to Store Whipped Cream Frosting

This must be kept in the refrigerator. It is recommended that you use the whipped cream frosting right away. If it sits in the bowl for prolonged periods of time, you may find that it wilts a little bit. I find that once a cake has been frosted, it will keep so much better. Desserts should last 3-4 days in the refrigerator.

A small glass jar filled with beautifully piped frosting. The jar is surrounded by berries

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use whipped cream cheese instead of a block of cream cheese?

No. This recipe works with block cream cheese.

Can I use fat-free or reduced-fat cream cheese?

No, it is recommended to use full-fat cream cheese, because it’s less watery than the reduced or fat-free options. It also has the best tas

Do I need a stand mixer to make this frosting?

I have made this with a handheld mixer, but I always find that I cannot achieve the same thickness with whipped cream because it is not as powerful. If you are using a handheld mixer, try and use a metal bowl, so you can get it nice and cold.

Can I make this with mascarpone?

Yes, you can swap out the cream cheese for mascarpone with a 1:1 ratio.

How much does this recipe make?

This makes enough to frost 24 cupcakes or a 9×13 inch cake.

Can cream cheese frosting sit out at room temperature?

I do not recommend leaving this out for an extended period of time, especially if you live in a warm or humid environment.

A vintage pink plate with piped whipped cream

More Recipes to Try

Easy Stabilized Whipped Cream– this is made without gelatin!
Cake Batter Whipped Cream
Chocolate Whipped Cream
Cinnamon Maple Whipped Cream
Cereal Milk Whipped Cream