Incredibly rich and silky white chocolate cream cheese frosting perfect for icing cakes, cupcakes and other bakes. This recipe takes minutes to make and uses only 4 ingredients. The frosting is very smooth and easy to pipe, making it a great alternative to traditional buttercream.
Cream cheese is arguably one of the best things life has to offer. If I told you how much cream cheese I go through in a week, you would probably urge me to seek help. But hey, the heart whats what the heart wants!
Although most people use cream cheese in sandwiches or sauces, I use a lot of it in my baking. White chocolate cream cheese frosting is my go to recipe for icing cakes. Not only is it really smooth, but I think it also tastes much better than buttercream. The white chocolate in the frosting makes all the flavours pop and also adds richness.
Making this cream cheese frosting is much easier than you may think. You only need 4 ingredients and about 2 minutes of your time. The result will blow your mind and you will never go back to buttercream after using this cream cheese icing!
Why this frosting is amazing
- Flavour - the cream cheese and white chocolate create a unique and rich flavour in the frosting, better than buttercream
- Versatility - can be used in pretty much any type of sweet bake
- Sweetness - this frosting is not overly sweet, unlike buttercream. All the sweetness comes from the white chocolate
- Simplicity - this recipe uses only 4 ingredients: cream cheese, butter, white chocolate and vanilla
- Ease - the frosting takes only a few minutes to prepare
What to use it on
This white chocolate cream cheese frosting can be used on anything and everything sweet. You can use it as decoration, to coat cakes or as filling between layers. Basically you can use it on anything you would use buttercream on - cakes, cupcakes or as a filling for many other bakes. This frosting is so good you'll probably end up eating it with a spoon. Here are my favourite uses for this frosting:
- Strawberry Cheesecake Cake
- Strawberry Cheesecake Mochi
- Raspberry Cheesecake Cookies
- Pumpkin Cheesecake Cookies
- Mini Blueberry Cake
- Spiced Pumpkin Pie
- Chimney Cones
- Strawberry Babka
- Double Layer Carrot Cake
- Pumpkin Pie with Walnuts
You can also get creative and make variations of this frosting. Add 1 teaspoon of fruit jam to flavour it or food colouring to make it a certain colour. In the Mini Blueberry Cake below I added a little blueberry jam and some food colouring to make it purple.
Piping cream cheese frosting
The best way to apply cream cheese frosting is actually using a piping bag. This way you can control the amount much better and give a consistent finish. If you're using as a filling inside cakes, you can use a piping bag without a nozzle. If you're decorating a cake or cupcake, I recommend using a star-shaped nozzle.
The frosting needs to be firm when piping, in order to get good definition. It's important to use the white chocolate cream cheese frosting at the right temperature. Ideally, use it as soon as you've finished making it (from cold ingredients). If you leave it sitting at room temperature for too long, you will not get sharp, defined shapes when piping. If the frosting gets too soft, pop it in the fridge for 10-15 minutes to harden.
It's important to note that leaving the icing in the fridge for too long will make it harden too much. Once hardened, it will be difficult to pipe and you might struggle. If needed, I recommend chilling the frosting before adding it into the piping bag.
Ingredient roundup
Cream cheese - the main ingredient. Use full fat cream cheese, such as Philadelphia. If you are in the US, ensure you use brick cream cheese, not spread. Low fat versions will not work as well, as they are much softer.
Butter - you can use both salted or unsalted (it's a case of personal preference). I recommend using organic butter with a high fat percentage.
White chocolate - use good quality chocolate, the type you like to eat. Do not use baking chocolate, as the taste is inferior. I recommend white chocolate with a minimum of 26-28% cocoa solids, such as Callebaut.
Vanilla - you can use either vanilla bean paste or extract. Make sure you get a very good quality vanilla, as this can influence the taste a lot.
How to make cream cheese frosting
Making this white chocolate cream cheese frosting is really, really simple. You only need 4 ingredients, a microwave and a mixer. Before you start, ensure the cream cheese and butter are cold.
1. Melt the chocolate - I like to use the microwave for this, because it's the fastest. Chop the chocolate in small pieces, then place in the microwave for 30 seconds. Give it a mix with a spatula, then return for another 15 seconds. Mix again until the chocolate is fully melted.
Important! Ensure that the chocolate is fully melted, without any chunks left. Any remaining chunks will affect the finished cream cheese frosting and can make it grainy. Make sure the chocolate has time to cool down to room temperature before adding into the recipe.
2. Beat the butter - until it's pale and fluffy. This should take about 4-5 minutes.
Pro tip: if the butter is too yellow, add a small drop of purple food colouring to counteract the yellowness.
3. Combine everything - add in the cream cheese and melted white chocolate (cooled). Mix until everything is incorporated, do not over-mix.
4. Pipe - place the white chocolate cream cheese frosting in a piping bag and pipe.
Frequently asked questions
This frosting is sweet, but not overly sweet. The sweetness comes from the white chocolate, with no additional sugar being added.
Due to this frosting containing dairy, it is not suitable to leave it out at room temperature for too long.
You should only use full fat cream cheese for this frosting. Low fat cream cheese contains more liquid than full fat, so it can make the frosting too runny.
Yes, absolutely! Use gel or powder food colouring to achieve the desired look. Liquid food colouring is not advisable, as it can make the frosting runny and also it's not as vibrant.
This recipe yields the best results when the frosting is used immediately. However, you can make it in advance and store it in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Before using, let it sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, then give it a quick mix to loosen it up. Afterwards, place in piping bag and pipe.
This frosting lasts up to 3-4 days in the fridge. Alternatively, freeze in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight, then mix it before using.
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If you’ve tried this recipe out, please don’t forget to rate and comment on this post. I love hearing from you, so feel free to reach out to me on social media as well and tag me in your posts!
Recipe
White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 100 g white chocolate, chopped* (⅔ cup)
- 100 g butter, cold * (½ cup)
- 150 g cream cheese, cold* (⅔ cup)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste*
Instructions
- Melt the white chocolate in the microwave. Start with 30 seconds, then give the chocolate a quick mix. Return to the microwave for a smaller interval of 15 seconds, mixing after each time. Repeat until the chocolate is fully melted, then let the chocolate cool down to room temperature before using it.
- In a medium bowl, beat the cold butter until it softens and it becomes pale and fluffy. If needed, add 1 small drop of purple food colouring to make it less yellow.
- Add the cooled melted chocolate, cream cheese and vanilla into the butter. Mix everything until combined. Use immediately for perfect piping.
Notes
- I recommend using a kitchen scale in grams for more accuracy. The cups used for the conversion are standard US customary cups (1 cup flour = 136g). There are many different types of cups across the globe, which is why I strongly recommend using grams instead.
- One batch of cream cheese frosting is enough to ice 12 cupcakes. Calories are indicative only and are calculate per portion (1 batch = 12 portions). To ice a 6-inch cake you will need approximately 2 batches of frosting.
- Use good quality white chocolate, 26-28% cocoa solids. For a smooth frosting, ensure the chocolate is fully melted before using.
- You can use either salted or unsalted butter.
- Use full fat cream cheese, such as Philadelphia original. For US readers, use cream cheese block, not the spread.
- Vanilla paste can be replaced with vanilla extract or vanilla seeds.
- If your butter is really yellow, add a small drop of purple food colouring to cancel out the yellowness.
Amelia says
This is now my go-to frosting recipe! My family loves it.... we're all completely addicted to it now
Super easy to follow instructions. Thank you for sharing this with us!
Hanelore Dumitrache says
Hi Amelia, so glad you enjoyed the recipe, it's one of my favourite frostings ever!
Marissa says
Are butter and cream cheese room temperature for this recipe?
Hanelore Dumitrache says
Hi Marissa, the butter and cream cheese need to be cold. When you beat the butter it will take a few minutes until it softens up, so be patient with it.
Marissa says
Thank you soo much. I'm planning on making this for my birthday. Looking forward to enjoy this recipe 🙂
Hanelore Dumitrache says
My pleasure, let me know how it goes or if you have any other questions. And Happy Birthday in advance!
Sara says
Would this be suitable to cover a wedding cake?
Hanelore Dumitrache says
Hi Sara, thanks for your question! I haven't tried this frosting on a very large or tiered cake, but here are my thoughts:
- The main thing to consider is if the cake needs to hold in warm temperature for a longer time. This frosting contains cream cheese and butter, so it tends to become quite soft if left at room temperature too longer than 30 minutes. If the cake can be stored in a fridge until the grand reveal, then it should be okay.
- Secondly, this frosting has a bit of a yellowish colour, like an ivory white. It looks beautiful, but it's not brilliant white. If you're looking for a pure white finish, you might have more success with Swiss meringue buttercream or Italian meringue buttercream.
- And lastly, you will need quite a lot of frosting to cover a large cake. This recipe is enough for a small 6-inch cake.
I hope this helps, let me know if you have any more questions!
Lauren says
The best cream cheese icing I have ever made!! Totally delicious!
Hanelore Dumitrache says
Hi Lauren, so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
Laura says
Can you ad heavy cream to this to make a lighter whipped frosting?
Hanelore Dumitrache says
Hi Laura, yes that's possible. I recommend whipping the heavy cream separately until medium-stiff peaks, then incorporating it into the prepared cream cheese frosting with a spatula. Please make sure both the cream cheese frosting and heavy cream are cold, to avoid the mixture going too soft. Let me know how it comes out!
Jo M says
Made this time and time again for cake and cupcakes and it's always really good. Tried it with dark chocolate too and it was great