Classic Cream Cheese Frosting

What is a cake without your favorite frosting on top? Classic cream cheese frosting is a must-have in your baking arsenal, and this recipe for frosting that’s both perfectly tangy and sweet at once couldn’t be easier. We love it for finishing carrot cakes, red velvet cakes, a batch of cupcakes, or any sheet cake that needs an added layer of flavor. We learned from the inimitable Rose Levy Berenbaum that oil-based cakes, for instance, take beautifully to cream cheese icing. Scale this yummy cream cheese frosting recipe up or down, say, if you’re making a layer cake, a small batch of carrot cake cupcakes, or icing some cinnamon rolls. Give a banana cake or pumpkin cake extra oomph with a layer of homemade cream cheese frosting. The possibilities are plentiful.

Vanilla bean paste gives this full-flavored frosting a pretty, speckled look, but pure vanilla extract works too. For best results, use full-fat cream cheese and a stand mixer. When you beat in the powdered sugar, start at low speed, gradually increasing to create a light, fluffy, spreadable frosting. Unlike some buttercream frostings, cream cheese–based frostings should be refrigerated (store the finished icing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days, or pop it into the freezer for a month). To refresh, bring to room temperature and whip it up in a mixing bowl before using. (Pro tip: Add a drop of water if needed to smooth it.)