• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
The Gracious Wife logo
  • Recipes
  • Family
    • Love & Marriage
    • Parenting
  • House & Home
    • Kitchen and Cooking Tips
    • Cleaning & Organization
    • Budget
  • Nav Social Menu

    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter
    • YouTube

Home » Recipes » Cakes & Cupcakes

Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting

Feb 8, 2016 · 45 Comments

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Yummly
  • Mix
Jump to Recipe

The perfect Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting for piping beautiful swirls onto cakes and cupcakes that's versatile and yummy enough for all of your favorite treats!

Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe. The perfect Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting for piping beautiful swirls onto cakes and cupcakes that's versatile and yummy enough for all of your favorite treats! Easy to make too!
Photo: DollarPhotoClub.com

Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting

This recipe was a long time coming, and just in time for Red Velvet cupcakes for Valentine's Day and Carrot Cake for Easter! This is the Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting that I use eeevvvery time I need cream cheese frosting.  I love this recipe because it's thick enough to pipe, but it's easy to adjust to make it gooier, just by adding a tablespoon or two of extra milk.

Use this  Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting on these tasty treats:

Ginger Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Spiced Cream Cheese Icing- A homemade delightful twist on traditional carrot cake and spice cake cupcakes recipe from scratch. A great dessert for Fall gatherings! Loooove the spiced cream cheese frosting!

  • Moist Carrot Cake Cupcakes
  • Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes
  • Ginger Brown Sugar Cupcakes
  • Carrot Cake Pops

 

 

Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe. The perfect Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting for piping beautiful swirls onto cakes and cupcakes that's versatile and yummy enough for all of your favorite treats! Easy to make too!
Photo: DollarPhotoClub.com

Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe. The perfect Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting for piping beautiful swirls onto cakes and cupcakes that's versatile and yummy enough for all of your favorite treats! Easy to make too!

Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting

The perfect Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting for piping beautiful swirls onto cakes and cupcakes that's versatile and yummy enough for all of your favorite treats!
4.75 from 4 votes
Print Pin Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Keyword: Cream Cheese Frosting, Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting, Thick Cream Cheese Frosting
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 15 minutes
Servings: 48 cupcakes
Calories: 196kcal
Author: Michelle

Ingredients

  • 1 cup butter room temperature
  • ½ cup shortening
  • 2 blocks cream cheese, room temperature (8 ounces each)
  • 3 pounds powdered sugar about 11 cups
  • 1 tablespoon vanilla
  • 1-2 tablespoons cream or milk

Instructions

  • In a large mixing bowl, cream together butter, shortening, and cream cheese.
  • Slowly add in powdered sugar and continue beating until well combined and creamy.
  • Add vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk and beat again until combined. If mixture is still too thick for your liking, add an additional tablespoon of milk and beat again until you reach you desired consistency.

Notes

This is a large batch, which can frost a full size cake or up to 48 cupcakes. You can split the recipe in half for a smaller batch.

Nutrition

Calories: 196kcal | Carbohydrates: 28g | Protein: 0g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 20mg | Sodium: 64mg | Potassium: 14mg | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 245IU | Calcium: 11mg | Iron: 0.1mg
Did you make this recipe?I love seeing your creations. Snap a quick photo and mention @TheGraciousWife or tag #thegraciouswife on Instagram! Leave a STAR rating below!

Did you like this Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting recipe? Find more on my Cakes & Cupcakes and Desserts boards on Pinterest!

If you liked this Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting recipe, you might also like

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting fb

Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

 

Marshmallow Frosting Recipe- a fun spin on buttercream with marshmallow creme. #dessert #cake #cupcakes #buttercream #marshmallow From TheGraciousWife.com

Marshmallow Frosting

 

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes have a moist Strawberry cupcakes recipe with cream cheese frosting and graham cracker crumb sprinkles. Fun idea for a birthday! Love that the cupcakes are made from REAL strawberries!

Strawberry Cheesecake Cupcakes

See More Dessert Recipes

Never Miss a Thing!

Join our newsletter to get new recipes, tips, tricks, and tutorials every week!

Success! Now check your email to confirm your subscription.


There was an error submitting your subscription. Please try again.




 

Photo Credits: DollarPhotoClub.com

 

Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe. The perfect Pipeable Cream Cheese Frosting for piping beautiful swirls onto cakes and cupcakes that's versatile and yummy enough for all of your favorite treats! Easy to make too!
« Black Bean Enchiladas
36 Green Treats for St Patrick's Day »
  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Yummly
  • Mix

Cakes & Cupcakes, Desserts, In the Kitchen, Recipes Dessert Recipe, Frosting Recipe

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Munchkintime says

    February 10, 2016 at 9:32 am

    Michelle this cream frosting looks amazing, cant wait to learn how to decorate cupcakes. Pinning it! Thank you so much for sharing!

    Visiting from A Little R &R!

    Reply
  2. Paula Speekman says

    March 30, 2016 at 7:25 pm

    Will this frosting remail pipable when using just butter in stead of butter and shortening?

    Reply
    • Paula Speekman says

      March 30, 2016 at 7:27 pm

      Sorry, previous comment: remain pipeable!

      Reply
    • Brittany says

      June 05, 2017 at 6:53 pm

      It'll be pipeable but not stiff. You won't be able to get good peaks or a good crust when it dries. If you don't want to use animal fat, use vegetable shortening by Crisco and get the same effects as lard.

      Reply
      • Misty H says

        June 26, 2017 at 3:07 pm

        I just made a batch of this icing, I added 1 tbsp. milk and it is way too soft now. When I try to make peaks they just flop over or "melt", should I just let it sit in the mixer for a little while? or can I add something else to it?

        Reply
        • Michelle says

          June 26, 2017 at 3:12 pm

          Is the butter/shortening/cream cheese hot? If any of that is hot or melted, it will affect the consistency of the whole batch. Otherwise you can add in some more powdered sugar to stiffen it up.

          Reply
  3. Stephany says

    November 10, 2016 at 5:44 pm

    Thank you for sharing this recipe. How many cupcakes would this work for? It seems like a lot. I don't want to make too much. Thinking of making half, but want to make sure I'll have enough.

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      November 12, 2016 at 7:43 am

      I usually use this for a full cake (filling and outsides) or for about 50ish cupcakes. So I would definitely cut it in half if you only have a couple dozen.

      Reply
      • Robyn Cooper says

        October 27, 2020 at 7:21 pm

        Could I tint this frosting?

        Reply
        • Michelle says

          October 28, 2020 at 11:06 am

          Absolutely! I always recommend gel coloring so that it doesn't change the consistency of the frosting.

          Reply
  4. Marwan says

    November 20, 2016 at 11:30 am

    I'm making a 12x18 2 layer sheet cake, will this be enough to fill and cover that size cake or should I make more?

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      November 21, 2016 at 6:58 am

      Yes, I believe this will be enough for a cake that size for filling and covering.

      Reply
  5. Sarah W says

    February 11, 2017 at 5:22 pm

    Do I need to refrigerate the cupcakes to keep the frosting good overnight? Just made the frosting and it tastes great. Just don't know if I need to stick them in the fridge until my sons party tomorrow.

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      February 12, 2017 at 8:00 am

      I generally recommend keeping cream cheese frosting refrigerated. You can take them out of the fridge about an hour or so before you need them so that the frosting softens and comes to room temp.

      Reply
  6. Linda says

    March 21, 2017 at 7:28 am

    Will this icing crust?

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      March 21, 2017 at 7:44 am

      Yes, it does.

      Reply
  7. Lisa says

    March 21, 2017 at 3:44 pm

    Can I make it a day or two in advance and refrigerate it.

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      March 22, 2017 at 8:59 am

      Yes. You'll want to keep it covered in an air tight container, and let it come to room temperature before trying to use it (It will stiff when cold)

      Reply
  8. MR says

    March 31, 2017 at 2:39 pm

    Does it freeze well? Would it work for a wedding cake?

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      April 01, 2017 at 9:21 am

      I've never frozen it, but it works just like buttercream. I've honestly never frozen buttercream either. But whatever you would normally do with buttercream, you can do with this frosting. It's delicious and it holds up perfectly.

      Reply
  9. Danelle says

    April 19, 2017 at 4:47 pm

    How well does this frosting work without the shortening? (Just butter and cream cheese) ? Will it still be pipeable?

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      April 20, 2017 at 9:28 am

      I'm not sure as I've never tried it. Shortening is more hardy than cream cheese, so it definitely gives it some structure. Plus removing it without replacing it with more butter or cream cheese will mess with the wet to dry ingredients ratio.

      Reply
  10. Janet Charleston says

    June 23, 2017 at 8:03 pm

    I am trying to learn how to piping but it is very hard to do because I was with cerebral palsy so do any idea how to help me to do the piping Janet Charleston

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      June 24, 2017 at 9:09 am

      My cousin told me about a piping gun when I was telling her I was having hand cramps decorating cupcakes. There are a couple different kinds. This one you squeeze kind of like you are pulling a trigger. Or this one is more like pushing down on a syringe. You can use either to hopefully make it a little easier.

      Reply
    • Mary says

      March 07, 2019 at 7:15 am

      Cuisinart makes a small hand held but electric appliance that can be used for piping or spritz cookies. I too have trouble with my hands

      Reply
  11. Jackie Tobolski says

    August 18, 2017 at 7:44 am

    Hi! This looks delicious! I wanted to make the pipable cream cheese frosting & vanilla frosting... this will be my 1st time making frosting.. Do these recipes call for unsalted butter? & heavy cream? Thank you so much for sharing???

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      August 18, 2017 at 8:58 am

      Yes and yes! Good luck!

      Reply
  12. Olya says

    March 29, 2018 at 2:25 pm

    Would this be a good frosting recipe to use if I wanted to pipe flowers on cupcakes?
    How would this hold up vs buttercream?

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      March 29, 2018 at 9:37 pm

      In my experience, it holds up comparably to buttercream. It is very thick. I have burnt out a hand-mixer motor or 2 mixing it up.

      Reply
  13. Lorraine says

    April 05, 2018 at 2:23 am

    Hi, thanks for sharing your recipe
    I’m planning on using it to make “turf” for my son soccer field birthday cake. Do you think this recipe will work?
    Looks so easy.

    Reply
  14. Lori says

    April 05, 2018 at 2:25 am

    Hi, thanks for sharing your recipe
    I’m planning on using it to make “turf” for my son soccer field birthday cake. Do you think this recipe will work?
    Looks so easy.

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      April 05, 2018 at 8:09 pm

      Yes, absolutely! I made this "fuzzy" kitty cat cake for my daughter's birthday using cream cheese frosting, and it worked perfectly. Just make sure it's slightly cooler than room temp. Soft enough to handle, but not warm.

      Reply
  15. Liz says

    May 06, 2018 at 9:09 am

    Where is the pineapple in this recipe?

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      May 07, 2018 at 7:15 pm

      It is PIPE-able. Meaning you can pipe it in a decorators bag without it melting. It is NOT PINEAPPLE. Sorry for the confusion

      Reply
  16. Lillian Boudreau says

    July 05, 2018 at 5:25 pm

    I am making a 4 tier weddiing cake and the bride wants carrot cake on the bottom layers and white for the top layers. Would I be able to use this icing on both cake types? She also might want the one cake bottom to be false ( using starfoam block) would I be able to use this
    Icing for this as well.

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      July 05, 2018 at 6:32 pm

      I've never made a wedding cake, but I would imagine so. I use this frosting recipe for everything I want cream cheese frosting on.

      Reply
  17. Mimid says

    September 07, 2018 at 10:41 pm

    Thanks for posting this recipe it is definitely a nice firm cream cheese icing really works great!! The only changes I made was I didn’t add the water and I added 1 tablespoon of meringue powder it really worked great and tasted great as well will definitely be using this again. Thanks again for posting it!!!

    Reply
  18. Juliann says

    March 16, 2019 at 2:41 pm

    How would I go about converting this into chocolate cream cheese frosting?

    Reply
  19. Michelle Edwards Gardner says

    July 29, 2020 at 6:59 pm

    I lost my mom's recipe for cream cheese icing that was so good and was my go to. Then I came across your recipe and decided to try it because it had an air of familiarity. 😊 It turned out perfect pipeable consistency! I'm very happy. Will be using this recipe from now on. Always hard to find good recipes that actually works and taste great. Thanks so much!😊

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      July 30, 2020 at 2:24 pm

      I'm so glad you found what you were looking for! Happy to help 😊

      Reply
  20. Jen says

    January 12, 2021 at 1:05 pm

    I want to use this recipe for a cake that calls for keylime cream cheese frosting. Should I add keylime juice or key lime extract? I don't want to thin it out

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      January 14, 2021 at 9:24 am

      You could probably add up to a table spoon of juice, but I'd probably add keylime extract to get more flavor. Or add some keylime zest.

      Reply
  21. Melissa says

    May 06, 2021 at 4:47 pm

    Hi, is the butter salted or unsalted? Thank you

    Reply
    • Michelle says

      May 11, 2021 at 11:01 am

      Unsalted! 🙂

      Reply
  22. Norma says

    January 06, 2022 at 2:57 pm

    Just wondering could this recipe be made as a chocolate cream cheese icing? If so how? Thank you so much ♥️

    Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar

Picture of Michelle Medlin, The Gracious Wife

Hello! I'm Michelle!
I'm a comfort food lover and self-taught cook with five amazing kids and a firefighter husband, surviving mostly on coffee. I love to create easy and delicious family recipes, and share creative family tips I've learned along the way.
Welcome to The Gracious Wife!
MORE ABOUT ME>>

Happy Easter!

Spoon drizzling melted chocolate over a golden coconut macaroon with 2 more macaroons behind.

Coconut Macaroons

Carrots cut into coins in a brown sugar bourbon sauce in a silicone spoon resting in a cast iron skillet

Bourbon Glazed Carrots

Wooden bowl full of Boursin mashed potatoes topped with melted butter and freshly chopped chives with a bunch of fresh parsley behind

Boursin Mashed Potatoes

Cheesy slow cooker scalloped potatoes topped with fresh thyme on a plate next to a fork

Slow Cooker Scalloped Potatoes

Close up of Funfetti cookies with rainbow sprinkles stacked in a neat pile on a white background

Homemade Funfetti Cookies

Blueberry crisp topped with vanilla ice cream with a spoon in the middle on a small white plate with a white marble background

Blueberry Crisp

More Easter Recipes & Ideas

What's Trending Now:

  • Egg salad sandwich cut diagonally with the halves stacked on top of each other on a plate on a rustic wood background. Classic Egg Salad
  • A corner slice of chicken pot pie with golden crust on a small plate with a fork with a bite on it, on a rustic wood background with a striped linen The BEST Chicken Pot Pie
  • Biscuits stacked on a black matte plate on a white rustic wood background Southern Buttermilk Biscuits
  • Homemade mayo in a mason jar with a butter knife scooping some out, with lemons and an immersion blender in the background Homemade Mayonnaise
  • Chicken Gnocchi Soup in a white bowl with a rustic wood background and breadsticks in a white and blue striped linen behind it. Copycat Olive Garden Chicken Gnocchi Soup

Footer

  • About The Gracious Wife
  • Contact Us
  • Copyright Notice
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure

You can find me here too!

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Disclosure

The Gracious Wife is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. All our thoughts and opinions are our own and we are not paid for or mandated to provide a positive review.

2022© The Medlin Group
  • Blog
  • Contact Us
  • About Us

Copyright © 2023 The Gracious Wife ·

141.8K shares
141.8K shares