Frostings and summer don't seem to match that good without any headaches, right? Who agrees with me?
Well, fret no more I say. This summer cream cheese frosting will relief you of those headaches.
Yes.
Summer Frosting
It's extremely hot in the summer where I live. Very. Extremely. Hot. I try to avoid doing frosted cakes during the summer. Why?
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Oh don't even get me started. The typical frosting will literally start melting as I frost the cakes, no matter how fast I try to frost them. And it also doesn't hold long enough for me to proudly display the beautifully (in my opinion) frosted cakes to the guests before serving.
Do you have similar experience?
But yeah, sometimes the heart wants what the heart (or tummy?) wants. Right? And it wants frosted cake in the summer!
And comes in this summer frosting. Pardon me, it's summer cream cheese frosting. And I love it!
What do I love about it?
- It's with cream cheese! Super yum!
- It has way less sugar compared to other typical frosting. I don't like the humongous amount of powdered sugar in a frosting just for the reason to make it set or hard. The frosting ends up tasting extremely sweet. No.
- Has no butter at all. Don't get me wrong, I love the taste of butter (who doesn't?) but butter and summer equals to disaster.
- Uses a simple thickener or stabilizer, which is gelatine. Just a small amount really helps to set and helps the frosting hold.
- I can take my time and frost my summer cakes without some ninja action going on.
Tips On Making Cream Cheese Frosting
Not that you need any but here are some:
- Make sure the cream cheese is full fat. Yes, the fat will help it hold its shape.
- Make sure the cream cheese is at room temperature. Easier for mixing.
- Sift your powdered sugar. Always, please.
- Make sure your whipping cream is with at least 35% fat and have it chilling in the fridge overnight (preferably).
- Chill your frosting for 20 minutes in the fridge before using. This will make it easier to use.
Can I Use This Frosting For Piping?
Yes! And that's how this recipe came to be in the first place, to be used for piping.
As you can see, it's sturdy and hold its shape. This is my go-to summer frosting. Give it a try!
Looking For More Frostings?
Check these out:
Watch How To Make Cream Cheese Frosting
📖 Recipe
Summer Cream Cheese Frosting
Video
Ingredients
- 16 oz full fat cream cheese (450 g), room temperature
- ⅔ cup powdered sugar (80 g), sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 teaspoon powdered gelatine (7 g)
- 1 ½ tablespoon water
- 1 cup whipping cream, min 35% fat (250 ml), chilled
Instructions
- Add cream cheese into a bowl and whisk until fluffy, using a handheld mixer. Now add in powdered sugar and vanilla, continue mixing and then set aside.
- In a small bowl, add powdered gelatine and water. Leave for 5 minutes for the gelatine to bloom. Then heat in microwave on low heat for a few seconds at a time, until the gelatine is fully dissolved.
- Add around 1 tbsp, more or less, of cream cheese mixture into the gelatine bowl and mix well using a spoon. Now pour the mixture back into the cream cheese mixture and immediately mix everything together. Set aside.
- In another bowl, whisk whipping cream until stiff peaks. Pour into cream cheese mixture and fold gently using a spatula until everything is well combined.
- Chill in the fridge for 20 minutes for it to set a bit before frosting. Give it a mix before using. This frosting will set in time so don't leave it in the fridge for too long. Happy frosting!
Notes
- This frosting will generously frost 2 layer cakes of 8 inch (20cm) or 9 inch (23cm).
- Use spoon and level method for measuring powdered sugar (if using cup measurement).
Barb C says
Can I make this icing ahead of time and chill in the fridge do I can ice my cake the next day?
Bea & Marco says
Hi, Barb! We don't recommend making the frosting one day ahead as it will set too much because of the gelatin and that would make it less manageable to frost the cake. Make it 20 minutes ahead as suggested in the post, frost and then chill the cake in the fridge. Hope it helps!
Joyce says
Super frosting and goes on easily. Can I frost a cake the day before and keep it in the fridge, or should I leave it in a cool place? I did a test with putting it in the fridge and it has cracked a little. But I only had 30% whipping cream....don't know if that made a difference?
Bea & Marco says
Hi! I’d keep it in the fridge, not leave it out. This frosting is meant to stay chilled. The slight cracking could be from the frosting setting more over time, but the 30% cream could also be part of it, since the recipe works best with whipping cream that has at least 35% fat. For the best result, we’d use 35% cream and keep the frosted cake covered in the fridge so the surface doesn’t dry out too much. Hope that helps 😊
Joyce says
Thank you so much. This is for a wedding cake .... this a tester. Will try leaving it covered. Or perhaps an air conditioned room?
Bea & Marco says
Hi Joyce! Yes, testing it ahead for a wedding cake is such a good idea, especially for an important event like that. For this frosting, we’d keep the cake covered in the fridge rather than in an air-conditioned room, since it holds best when properly chilled. Good luck and we hope your final cake turns out beautifully!
Ana says
Hi!!! I have been using this frosting for several years and it is perfect! I love it. But this year my son wants a chocolate cake. I was wondering if I can add cocoa powder in this recipe, would it be ok? Does it change the texture?
Bea & Marco says
Hi, Ana! We're so happy to hear you’ve been loving the frosting, it means a lot! Yes, you can add cocoa powder to make it chocolate. It will thicken the texture slightly, so if needed, you can loosen it with a tiny splash of cream until it’s just right. Let us know how it goes!
Ace says
I loved this the first time I made it. I made a lot of mistakes though. I tried watching your videos this second time but can’t get them to run on your blog. You might wanna check that. Perfect recipe though. Thank you so much!
Bea & Marco says
Thank you so much, we’re really glad you loved the recipe, even with a few hiccups the first time! We just checked and the video seems to be running fine on our end, so it might’ve been a temporary glitch or a browser issue. Maybe try refreshing the page or opening it in a different browser? Either way, we’re so happy you’re making it again and thank you for your kind words! ❤️ Let us know how round two goes!
Angie says
Hi there, can I add crushed oreos to this recipe?
Bea & Marco says
Hey, Angie! Yes, you can. Sorry for the late reply! We had to move house on short notice, but we're now slowly back at work!
Kim says
Does this frosting goes with carrot cake?
Thanks
Bea & Marco says
I don't see why not, although, we do have a carrot cake recipe that comes with a delicious cream cheese frosting, perhaps you'd want to check it out. Hope it helps!
Vivienne Shalom says
This frosting is delicious and very easy to work with. I had plenty for a 9inch cake.
Bea & Marco says
Yay! We're happy to hear that, thanks for leaving your feedback, Vivienne!
Ashley says
Hi, is it possible to use Meringue powder instead of the gelatin? Hoping to use it for an upcoming party!
Bea & Marco says
Hi! Meringue powder won’t work the same here. It adds fluff, but doesn’t keep the frosting stable in warm weather like gelatin does. If you skip the gelatin, just keep the cake chilled until serving since the frosting will be softer. Hope it helps!
Jackie says
Can I replace gelatine with vegetarian alternative? And how much should I put in? Thanks in advance.
Bea & Marco says
Hi, Jackie! Yes, you can. Since all packets, brands, and types are different, so refer to your packet's instructions and use the amount to set 350-400ml of liquid. Hope it helps!
Abi says
Hi Bea...could I use this frosting in between cake layers and do this the night before? The cake will be left on a display table for 3 hours. I trialed another chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe in between cake layers and it had melted by the time I got round to cutting the cake! Hope to hear from you 😊
Bea & Marco says
Hey Abi! I haven't tried it like that, but I'd say it would be fine. But yes, test it first just to be safe especially if it's for some momentous/important occasion. Hope it helps!
Akansha says
hi, can I replace gelatin with agar agar ? If yes, how much ? Many thanks
Bea & Marco says
Hi Akansha! Yes, you can use agar agar. Check out your packet (since every packet/brand is different), and use the amount needed to set 400ml water. Hope it helps!
Shannon says
So I’ve baked 3 red velvet cakes they are quiet dense, can this mixture hold all 3 cakes all together?
Bea & Marco says
I haven’t tested this frosting with three dense layers specifically, but generally it holds well for standard layer cakes. If your layers are very heavy, we’d recommend chilling between layers and possibly adding a little extra powdered sugar for stability. Hope it helps!
Milagro says
Muy buena a todos le gustó
Maria says
I used this recipe for my son's birthday in 85 degree, >85% humidity heat and the frosting held for several hours! I frosted my cupcakes the night before the party and used sprinkles (applied right after frosting) and refrigerated them overnight. I was worried about the quantity of icing at first since I ended up baking 15 cupcakes, but I had so much left over after applying a basic piped swirl (as opposed to the giant mountains of icing that is on many professional cupcakes)