Versatile, tangy, and quick to prepare, cream-cheese frosting has a perfectly soft consistency for swirling or swooping. It’s the classic choice for topping many cupcakes, including carrot and red velvet, and is also especially good with others, such as zucchini-spice and applesauce-spice.
Recipe information
Yield
makes 4 cups
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1 pound (4 cups) confectioners’ sugar, sifted
3/4 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Preparation
With an electric mixer on medium-high speed, beat butter and cream cheese until fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and then vanilla, and mix until smooth and combined, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. If not using immediately, frosting can be refrigerated up to 3 days in an airtight container; before using, bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth again.
