There's nothing like cream cheese buttercream on red velvet cupcakes, carrot cake, or even some fluffy chocolate cupcakes. And my small batch cream cheese frosting is amazing for when you don't need a big bowl of the stuff. This recipe has been my go-to for over a decade for good reason. It's super fluffy, creamy, and has a nice hint of vanilla!
Does anyone else remember when cream cheese buttercream became mainstream in the 2010s? Omg, I was in pastry school at the time, and you truly could not escape it. Like I know it was always there, but it felt like suddenly it was THERE.
Maybe it had something to do with the cupcake trend at the time? Cause the amount of cream cheese frosting requests I got was absolutely absurd. At some point, I was sooo sick of making it lol.
But luckily, I had a break from cream cheese frosting after I graduated, and I'm back on board. I just love how it's tangy and not-too-sweet. I especially love it on my small batch cinnamon rolls, but it would even be good on a pan of small batch brownies or in between some oatmeal cookies!
Sift the powdered sugar
My number one tip for super fluffy cream cheese icing is to sift the powdered sugar first! Powdered sugar can get clumpy, and even if you mix it real well, you might have lumps in your frosting.
If you sift the powdered sugar first, the frosting will come out super creamy, and you won't bite into lumps of sugar. All you need is a sieve, and it'll only take a minute or so!
Make it with a mixer
I'm usually not a brand nut except when it comes to powdered sugar. I've found that many generic versions have lots of cornstarch, which will make the frosting kind of gritty. If you can swing it, I would buy a good-quality powdered sugar!
Whip attachment
If you're using a stand mixer, make sure to make the frosting with the whip attachment. The whisk shape adds extra air which makes the frosting extra fluffy.
If you're using a hand mixer, use beaters to mix everything together. Then, switch to the whisk attachment and beat the frosting until it's airy, 2-3 minutes.
When it comes to small-batch baking, I always recommend using a scale to measure the ingredients. If you don't have a scale, here are all my tips on how I measure ingredients for small batch baking.
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The Best Small Batch Cream Cheese Frosting
Equipment
- Hand mixer or stand mixer with whip attachment
- Fine mesh sieve
Ingredients
- 60 grams unsalted butter, softened (¼ cup)
- 115 grams full-fat cream cheese, softened (4 ounces)
- 240 grams powdered sugar (2 cups)
- ½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Pinch of Kosher salt
Instructions
- Add the unsalted butter and cream cheese to a medium mixing bowl. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer with a whip attachment, beat the butter and cream cheese until the mixture is smooth.
- Using a fine mesh sieve, sift the powdered sugar into the cream cheese mixture and beat until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed. Mix in the vanilla extract and salt.
- Turn the mixer to medium-high and beat the frosting for another 2-3 minutes, until it's very fluffy. Store in an airtight container and refrigerate, or use it right away on cupcakes, cookies, cake, etc.
Did you make this recipe? I'd love to hear what you think!