Creamy, soft and delicious – that’s how a cream cheese frosting must be to make a simple carrot cake more tempting.
Try it for yourself with this mouth-watering frosting recipe.

I simply love carrot cake. They are loaded with goodness of carrots, walnuts, and Cinnamon. They have such warmth in them; I especially enjoy the cake during winter. 

However, as tasty as the cake itself is, I enjoy it more with a delicious cream cheese frosting. It complements the cake so well that I always make the frosting whenever I bake a carrot cake. 

The blend of cream cheese, unsalted butter and icing sugar makes for a smooth, creamy, buttery and yummy frosting, which, when paired with carrot cake, takes the dessert to a whole new level. 

Why You’ll Love This Recipe? 

• Simple: The frosting is basic yet delicious. They say keep it minimal to get the best, and it’s true for this frosting. All you need is four simple ingredients, and you’ll get one of the best cream cheese frostings you have ever made. 
• Glides on the Cake: The consistency of the frosting is very smooth. It spreads easily and is smooth to work with. You can even use it for layered cakes. 
• Versatile: The frosting is used for carrot cake. However, it can be used for other desserts as well. E.g., red velvet cake or cupcake, lemon cake, etc. 

Important Ingredients Used In The Recipe

• Unsalted Butter: Soft, room-temperature unsalted butter is required for the recipe. Since it’s a frosting, salted butter must not be used as it will make the frosting too salty. 
• Cream Cheese: Use a good quality block of cream cheese. No spread or liquid form of cream cheese should be used as that will hamper the taste as well as the texture of the frosting. 
• Icing Sugar: Sift the icing sugar before using it for the frosting. Sifted sugar mixes well in the butter and creates more aeration. 
• Vanilla Essence: To provide a base flavour to the frosting, vanilla essence is used. Do not use water-diluted essence; instead, use oil-based or extract. 

How To Make Carrot Cake Frosting 

Preparation: Collect and measure all the ingredients required for the recipe. Also, keep tools and equipment ready. 

Soften Cream Cheese: Take cream cheese in a bowl and soften it. Make it smooth. 

Beat Butter: In a large mixing bowl, beat unsalted butter using an electric hand beater. Use medium speed to beat. Continue beating till the butter gets light and airy. 

Add Icing sugar: Next, add sifted icing sugar to the beaten butter in batches. Mix it well until the entire sugar dissolves. 

Add Cream Cheese and Vanilla Essence: Lastly, fold the softened cream cheese and vanilla essence into the frosting and mix until you get a smooth texture. 

Your frosting is ready to be used for carrot cake! 

Chef’s Tips For The Recipe

Add Sugar In Batches

I prefer adding icing sugar in batches to the butter. Adding all sugar at once will make the process messy as the sugar will fly away when mixed with an electric beater. 

Do Not Overbeat 

Once all ingredients are fully incorporated, do not continue to beat frosting, as that can overwork the cream cheese, which may look curdled. 

How To Store Carrot Cake Frosting

When prepared, use it immediately for frosting your delicious carrot cake. Make sure the cake is cool when you frost; otherwise, the frosting will melt. 

If there is leftover icing, store it in an airtight box and keep it in the refrigerator for up to a week. 

Storing the frosting in the freezer will increase its shelf life to a month. 

More Easy Recipes

Looking for more amazing cream cheese frostings for your desserts? Check these out:

Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting 

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting 

Peanut Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Frequently Asked Questions 

Print