Magical Cream Cheese Frosting
A magical take on cream cheese frosting! A hybrid of magical (ermine/flour) frosting & cream cheese frosting, this recipe is firm, pipeable, & more stable.
*This post was originally published on September 9, 2013. I thought it was due for an update! So, I’ve included new photos, added a how-to video, and given more detailed instructions and tips for success. Hopefully, you’ll enjoy this cream cheese frosting as much as I do!*
I am always on the lookout for new frostings to try!
You can top your cakes and cupcakes in many different ways, from American-style buttercream to Swiss meringue buttercream to seven minute frosting. I’ve tried (and loved) them all!
So when I first heard about magical frosting (aka ermine frosting, cooked flour buttercream, or boiled milk icing), I wasted no time trying it out.
It’s excellent! With a fluffy and smooth texture. I liked it a lot!
But the one thing that struck me about ermine frosting was how well it held up. It keeps its shape and doesn’t weep, slump, or get all melty. It got my wheels turning…
I love a good cream cheese frosting. There are so many things that require it. Red Velvet. Carrot cake. Lemon Cupcakes.
But a lot of times, it can be a little loose and gloopy.
Naturally, I set out to try and make a magical cream cheese frosting.
And guess what? It worked.
Table of Contents
- What Is magical cream cheese frosting?
- What does magical cream cheese frosting taste like?
- Why you’ll love this magical cream cheese frosting recipe
- Ingredients and notes
- How to make magical cream cheese frosting
- Recipe FAQS
- Expert Tips
- How to use
- How to Store and Keep
- Serving size
- More Frosting Recipes You’ll Enjoy!
What Is magical cream cheese frosting?
Magical cream cheese frosting is a hybrid of magical frosting (aka ermine frosting) and regular cream cheese frosting.
It’s made with no powdered sugar.
Instead, you cook a sweet, thickened milk mixture and then whip cream cheese and butter into that.
What does magical cream cheese frosting taste like?
This frosting has a pronounced cream cheese flavor. It’s really tangy and just sweet enough.
But the magic is in the texture. It’s super fluffy and smooth.
Because it’s made without powdered sugar, there’s no grittiness whatsoever. It’s light as a cloud and so silky!
Why you’ll love this magical cream cheese frosting recipe
- It has an awesome, tangy cream cheese flavor.
- There’s also a whisper of vanilla and a hint of lemon.
- This frosting pipes like a dream.
- It has a super fluffy texture.
Ingredients and notes
Here’s a quick rundown of the ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe and why:
Sugar
Sugar sweetens the frosting. If you like things sweeter, you can use more, or if you prefer a less sweet frosting, less. In this case, it really won’t affect the chemistry of the recipe.
Regular white sugar is fine, or sub for another type of sweetener if you like. As long as it swaps 1:1 for granulated sugar it should work.
Flour
All-purpose flour provides structure to the frosting, helping it to be stiff, pipeable, and stable.
For a gluten-free cream cheese ermine frosting, leave out the flour and use an additional 2 tablespoons of cornstarch instead.
Cornstarch
Cornstarch is a colorless, odorless, and flavorless starch that is used as a thickener, so it does much the same thing as flour.
Make sure you’re using cornstarch, which is white and powdery, and not cornmeal, which is yellow and gritty and tastes like corn chips.
Salt
Salt carries the flavors and intensifies them. The end result won’t taste salty, but it will make everything so much more flavorful!
I like kosher salt best because it doesn’t have any additives (table salt usually contains iodine and that can leave a bitter taste), so the flavor is pure. It’s also inexpensive and easy to find in a regular grocery store.
Milk
Milk is used to dissolve the sugar. This is what creates that satin-y smooth mouthfeel!
Use whatever kind of milk you keep on hand. Skim milk, whole milk, 2%… even a plant-based milk will work here!
Lemon juice
This ingredient “lifts” the flavor of the frosting and enhances the tanginess of the cream cheese.
The end result won’t taste lemony, it will just have a subtle brightness.
Vanilla
Vanilla extract adds a subtly sweet flavor without being at all sugary.
For a more pronounced flavor, try using vanilla bean paste.
You could also split a vanilla bean down the center lengthwise, scrape out the seeds, and add those.
Cream cheese
This recipe works best if you use cold cream cheese, straight from the fridge.
Look for the kind that comes in a brick. The kind in a tub could make for a runny frosting.
And make sure it’s full-fat! You need the fat for things to whip up properly.
Butter
I like to use unsalted butter because it lets me control the amount of salt in the dish.
Different brands of butter can contain different amounts of salt, so this way you get a more consistent result.
This recipe works best if you allow the butter to come to room temperature first.
You can set it out on the counter a few hours ahead of making your recipe, or you can microwave it for 10 seconds, turn it over, and microwave it again for another 8 seconds.
How to make magical cream cheese frosting
Step 1: Make the roux
In a small pot, whisk the sugar, flour, cornstarch, and salt together until combined.
Then, slowly dribble in the milk while whisking.
It’s really important to go slow for this step so you don’t end up with a lumpy roux!
Step 2: Cook the roux
Cook this mixture until it starts to bubble and thicken, making sure to whisk continuously so it heats evenly.
Again, you don’t want lumps! As soon as it comes to a bubble, you’ll see it transform into a thick, almost gluey mixture.
Step 3: Chill the roux
Strain the roux into a heat-safe container, and pop it into the fridge to chill.
It needs to be very cold before the next step.
Step 4: Work in the cream cheese
Add the lemon juice and vanilla extract once you have the roux good and cold.
Whip the mixture on medium-high speed, adding the cold cream cheese just a tablespoon at a time.
Let each tablespoon of cream cheese completely incorporate before you add the next one.
Step 5: Work in the butter
When all the cream cheese has been added, do the same thing with the softened butter.
One tablespoon at a time until your buttercream is smooth and fluffy.
Step 6: Whip it good!
The final step is to crank up the mixer to high and whip that frosting until it’s super light and airy.
You’ll see the icing nearly double in volume right before your eyes!
Recipe FAQS
I recommend using the highest quality, full fat, lowest moisture-content cream cheese you can get.
The higher the moisture content, the harder it will be for this buttercream to hold its shape.
That’s why I only use the kind of cream cheese that comes in a brick.
If you can only get a tub of cream cheese where you live, by all means, give it a try if you like. But I can’t guarantee that the result will be quite the same.
As you can see in the video below, this magical cream cheese frosting is pipeable! It pipes like a dream and holds its shape very well.
It’s a little stiffer when cool, so if you’re working with it on a very hot day, you might want to chill it beforehand.
Because it contains no powdered sugar, this frosting will not crust like a classic cream cheese frosting.
However, it becomes a little drier on the surface as it sits exposed to air. So it’s not entirely soft on the outside, either.
Expert Tips
- This recipe takes a little bit of planning ahead.
- There’s a bit of downtime.
- You must cook it on the stove and wait for it to cool.
- Avoid runny frosting. It’s all about the temperature with cooked frostings like this one.
- Make sure the roux is fully chilled before mixing in the other ingredients. It will melt the cream cheese and butter if it’s still too warm.
- Your cream cheese should be cold.
- Your butter should be soft but cool. If it’s too soft your frosting could come out soupy. Leave it out on the counter for about 30 minutes, and it should be just right.
- Use cream cheese with the lowest moisture content you can find. I mentioned this above, but it bears repeating. Whipped cream cheese and cream cheese spread in a tub are much softer than the kind in a brick. That soft, loose quality will translate into your cream cheese frosting. So use a stiffer cream cheese, and you’ll end up with a stiffer frosting.
- If you’ve goofed up on the temperatures and find yourself with runny cream cheese frosting, all is not lost! Just put everything into the fridge for about 20 minutes, then re-whip. You should see it come together pretty quickly!
How to use
Tinting: You can tint this frosting if you’d like! I would recommend using gel paste icing colors. They are highly concentrated, so you only need a tiny bit, and they won’t add a lot of excess liquid to your cream cheese frosting.
Under fondant: You can use this cream cheese icing as a base under fondant. It holds its shape best when cool, so it’s a good idea to chill the frosted cake before covering it with fondant, so it stays nice and smooth under all that handling.
How to Store and Keep
Once made, you can store the frosting in the fridge for several days, up to a week.
When you’re ready to use it, it may seem a little less airy or workable from sitting in the fridge for so long. It can settle and become compacted over time, but if you pop it into the mixer and fluff it back up, it works like a charm!
It’s a good idea to plan ahead if you want to make this frosting recipe. You must allow plenty of time for the roux to chill before adding the cream cheese and butter.
Does magical cream cheese frosting need to be refrigerated?
This frosting can sit out at room temperature for a few hours, but anything longer than that and it should probably go in the fridge. It should last for a least a week refrigerated, maybe even a little longer!
Serving size
This recipe makes about 3 cups of frosting, which is enough to top 24 cupcakes, to frost and fill one 6-inch diameter triple-layer cake, one 8-inch diameter double-layer cake, or if you stretch it, one 9-inch diameter double-layer cake.
You can double or halve this recipe, no problem, if you need less or more.
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More Frosting Recipes You’ll Enjoy!
- Marshmallow Frosting
- Cream Cheese Frosting
- Whipped Chocolate Ganache
- Easy Chocolate Frosting
- Royal Icing
Magical Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup (31.25 g) all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons (24 g) cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon (1.5 g) salt
- 1 1/2 cups (366 g) milk
- 1 tablespoon (15 g) lemon juice
- 1 teaspoon (4 g) vanilla extract
- 4 ounces (113.4 g) cream cheese, cold
- 1/2 cup (113.5 g) unsalted butter, softened but still cool
Instructions
- Place the sugar, flour, cornstarch and salt in a small pot and whisk to combine.
- Gradually whisk in the milk, taking care to whisk out any lumps.
- Place over medium-low heat and cook, stirring often, until thickened.
- Pass the mixture through a fine mesh strainer, and into a heat-safe container.
- Refrigerate for 2 hours or overnight.
- Place the cooled mixture in a large mixing bowl, along with the lemon juice and vanilla, and whip on medium-high speed.
- Whip in the cold cream cheese, a tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to fully incorporate before adding the next.
- Whip in the softened butter, a tablespoon at a time, allowing each addition to fully incorporate before adding the next.
- Turn the mixer up to high speed, and continue to whip until doubled in volume and very fluffy.
Notes
Hello again! I tried today the recipe its so delicious!! I had one problem which is the flour clumps like my buttecream isn’t super smooth😐 When I eat it I can feel some of the pudding (flour, sugar,milk) and its annoying me idk what should I fix?? This happens with me everytime I do the flour buttercream
And I made sure to use the pudding base in room temp even my butter and cream cheese. I took them out of the fridge before maybe an hour from making it since its cold where I live.
And I made sure to use the base in room temp even my butter and cream cheese. I took them out of the fridge before maybe an hour from making it since its cold where I live.
I think what you need to do is whisk it more vigorously as you’re pouring the milk into the flour mixture. You want that to be completely smooth and lump-free before you go on to the next step. Hope that’s helpful!
Hi Allie, I want to try this recipe and I’m so excited about it , I hope it will turn out great! Actually I tried the traditional cream cheese frosting but it’s just too runny and grainy which I don’t like! One week ago, I tried the swiss meringue cream cheese buttercream, it was stable and amazing to pipe with! Not too sweet but the problem was that it was tooo butteryy 🙁 So I’m giving your recipe a try and I hope it will turn out not too buttery and too sweet <3 I have only one question to ask please. Does the recipe calls for 1cup of butter or a 1/2 cup? because you used 1 stick.
Thanks for sharing the recipe!
1 stick is equal to 1/2 cup. Good luck I hope it works well for your needs!
You’re awesome at what you do and how you explain step by step! Thankyou! Makes baking so enjoyable!
Grandson declined on the strawberry shortcake cake this last summer….doesn’t enjoy a lot of cakes or much fruit…after coaxing he conceded. Well the look on his face! Cherish it….totally loved it! Awesome!
His favourite is now pound cake, (yours) and this time I’ll do the cream cheese icing even though, I liked the previous version (with whipped cream) cause after all…it’s his birthday! I love your recipes and e-mails I always look forward to! Thanks again, so grateful to you!
This truly warms my heart! xo
How do i know if the cream cheese i buy is the right one? Is there any brands you can suggest? Im going to try this out today and see if i can get it right!
I usually buy Philadelphia Cream Cheese, full fat. Good luck!
UK baker here – unfortunately we can’t get block cream cheese here, so I had to use Philadelphia classic full fat, the sort of stuff you spread on a bagel. I followed the recipe exactly apart from that and I found the finished product had a very mild cream cheese flavour and wasnt very sweet. The texture was a bit odd for me personally as it is very smooth but has a slight custardy texture. Similar to a creme pat or something.
I ended up added nearly 400g of cream cheese in total to get that tangy flavour which I like and then added a couple tablespoons of powdered sugar to help it stiffen up.
The end result is a nice flavour but unfortunately it’s just not stiff enough to be piped or hold up on a cake for any length of time. That’s not the fault of the recipe at all, I think it’s down to our rubbish selection of cream cheese here in the UK.
Wow! This was a fantastic first for me! I was looking for a recipe to frost my black magic chocolate cake that didn’t require confectioners sugar because, I realized (too late) I didn’t have any for an American buttercream. Whoops. I did tweak it a bit to get a wicked mocha flavor and it did not disappoint. I replaced 1/2 c milk with buttermilk, dissolved 1 Tbsp Instant Coffee into the milk, and switched out half the flour for unsweetened cocoa powder. Thanks for the new favorite!
Allie hi
Made this icing but somehow it didn’t stay as stiff as yours !
I just frosted a carrot layer cake with this frosting. I did add the whole brick of cream cheese without any problems.
OMG it’s so good!! I have tried other cooked cream cheese recipes but this is the one I will be using from now on.
I want to mention that when starting to whip in the butter bit by bit it didn’t seem like it would ever come together. I carried on and it sure did incorporate thank Heaven. And thank you 🙂
You’re welcome- I’m very happy it worked out for you!
It tastes good and I really wanted it to work, but this frosting never got fluffy. I re-chilled it and it was still a runny, goopy mess. I waited about three hours for the roux to chill in the fridge, so it was completely cooled. Not sure what I did wrong.
It’s possible the roux was not cooked long enough. It needs to be extremely thick and gluey before you take it off the stove. It might be helpful to you to read through the comments before yours, some other readers have explained this better than I may have done!
I was hoping to find this recipe! Looks great, but during the quarantine, I am having a hard time finding access to butter, so it’s kind of a precious commodity during this time. Is there any way to omit the butter entirely, or at least significantly reduce it? Thanks!
So sorry Ellie! But I would not omit the butter in this recipe. If you used all cream cheese, it would not be stiff enough. The water content in cream cheese is just too high.
I was a bit skeptical however I followed all your instructions and it certainly fluffed up as you said. Came out wonderful!! Thank you for the recipe.
My pleasure Susan! I’m glad it worked out well for you!
Just to add: I make this gluten free. Use all cornstarch. 4 1/2 T, omit flour. No need to chill the mixture, just cool completely. I use powdered sugar, 1 1/2 c.
Great to know! Thanks for sharing!
I’ve used this frosting for years. Do not add the cream cheese/butter in pieces. That’s a pain! Beat together in your bowl until fluffy, add the cooked mixture, flavorings, beat until fluffy. DONE!!!!
EVERYTHING about this recipe is perfeeectt 😩🤤 but I have a question.. can I use maizena instead of cornstarch ?? I want to try this frosting for my sister’s birthday on Friday ☺️
Hi there! I’m so sorry but I’m really not familiar with maizena. I’ve googled it and I can’t quite tell if it’s the same thing as cornstarch or not. I can say that cornstarch is a fine, white powder and it is completely flavorless. It’s typically used to thicken sauces and such. There is also cornmeal, which is coarse and yellow and tastes strongly of corn. You want the fine, flavorless powder for this. So if that is what maizena is, then it should probably work for you! Good luck!
Hi Amber and Allie. Maizena is just a brand of cornstarch. I have seen it in the Mexican marts here in Texas. Hope this helps. I’m about to try this recipe Allie. Cross your fingers ladies!
Thank you for the info and good luck to you!
Allie, thanks very much for your delicious recipe..hhmmm..this kind of frosting recipe is really what I want..yummmyyyy…🍰💐😋
You’re very welcome!
Can this be made in a chocolate version?
This frosting is out of this world!
I made it with agavesirop (and about a thirth less, because I don’t really like overly sweet things) and it was amazing on my Christmas red velvet cake and also lovely on my chai spice apple cake!
Its so much more delicate then the normal powdered sugar/butter/cream cheese version!
Thank you for this recipe…this one will be my go to cream cheese frosting from now on.
Greetings and all the best for 2020 from the Netherlands.
That’s so wonderful to hear! Your cakes sound delicious. I’m so happy you enjoyed the recipe and thank you for the 5-star review!
OMGoodness, this is by far the best and most stable cream cheese frosting recipe I have tried. I followed each step meticulously and my frosting was perfect. I used this recipe to frost 24 standard, almond cupcakes for a customer and she loved it. Moreover, my rosettes pipped beautifully.
Thank you so much for posting this easy to follow recipe. This will definitely be my go-to for a stable cream cheese frosting.
So happy to hear this Bridget! Thank you so much for the great feedback and for the 5-star review!
Hello, just wondering has anyone tried this recipe with the tub cream cheese, it is literally the only thing I can get. Either that or Kiri cream cheese (you know the ones in the individual foiled squares?). Can I know what would be the better option, and how to adjust the recipe to still keep it pipeable? I really need this recipe as powdered sugar is a big gritty mess no-no for me. Please help!
Interesting concept. I’ve made an Ermine Buttercream for years, as it’s the classic, original, and authentic frosting for a Red Velvet Cake – not a Cream Cheese Frosting. I’m glad to see you’re using the updated way to make it, as it used to call for the cooked pudding (it’s not a roux cuz a roux is fat and flour), to be added to whipped butter and sugar. My recipe calls for 5 T. flour, not 4; no cornstarch or lemon juice, so this is somewhat of a departure.
Cream Cheese Frosting is not easy to work with as cream cheese contains emulsifiers that hold it together, and beating it breaks these down. That’s why so many Cream Cheese Frostings get runny. It’s best to add it, as the last ingredient, at room temp so it’s quickly incorporated. Of the 6 buttercreams, Ermine is most definitely the most stable. That’s why it was originally used in the south, on Red Velvet Cakes.
You’d do just as well, adding soft cream cheese to a well-whipped buttercream. Mine is quite unique and different – Rose’s Buttercream. I found it in a cookbook published in 1975, and I’ve won blue ribbons and trophies with it. I use it mostly on cakes I make for restaurants and resorts for their dessert carts. I add soft cream cheese to it, and it’s very stable to frost and decorate with.
In the unlikely event that you will notice this question after so long and reply, I would like to ask what kind of buttercream you use with soft cream cheese? I can only get the tubs here so I haven’t been able to make an actual cream cheese frosting ever…
Or if you could tell me the name of the cookbook you found the recipe in, that’d be great!
The best cream cheese frosting!! It is really magic and delicious!! I tried it for my carrot cupcakes! Thank you for the recipe
So happy you were pleased with it! Thanks for the positive feedback!
I’ve made this frosting several times now, half the time it hasn’t worked for me so I wanted to share what I’ve learned. I add an extra tablespoon of cornstarch to the roux. I cook it for several minutes once it starts to kind of simmer so that it is extra thick before I cool it. I make sure everything is the same temperature before I start mixing the butter and cream cheese, and I mix the cream cheese in last. I also double the amount of cream cheese to give it a better flavor. No you can’t pipe it as well as regular buttercream, but this pipes way better than regular cream cheese frosting. I have managed with some patience to pip e some pretty basket weave cakes with it, with frequent popping it into the fridge to keep it stable and chilled. Good luck everyone!