Last Updated on April 9, 2024
Cream cheese frosting is a wonderful addition to many desserts. Its creamy and sweet taste makes it one of the most popular frostings. This white chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe will leave your mouth watering thanks to how delicious it is.
The addition of white chocolate to cream cheese frosting gives it a decadent taste. This frosting is simple to make and requires no prior baking experience. This delicious frosting is sure to be a popular hit amongst your friends and family.
What Exactly is White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting?
Many of us love the taste of white chocolate but don’t know much about it. The delicious treat is often used in candy bars and dessert recipes. It has a sweet, creamy taste that makes it a popular choice to be used in desserts.
White chocolate is also popular as a dip for fruits, pretzels, and cookies. White chocolate is often sold in bars and chips that are meant for melting and baking.
White chocolate is said to be invented in the 1930s in Switzerland, though its origins are still somewhat of a mystery. White chocolate was created to use excess cocoa butter for a delicious treat. It is made with cocoa butter, milk solids, and sugar, often with other ingredients such as vanilla and cinnamon.
Many people debate whether or not white chocolate should be considered chocolate. White chocolate does not contain any cocoa nibs or cocoa powder, which are ingredients that are found in milk and dark chocolate. Since it does not contain cocoa nibs or cocoa powder, it is technically not considered chocolate, though many still refer to it as one.
According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), for chocolate to be considered chocolate, it must contain at least 10% cocoa mass, which includes cocoa nibs, but does not say anything about cocoa butter. The FDA states that white chocolate must contain 20% cocoa butter, but there are no specifications on containing cocoa nibs. Despite these requirements, many people still refer to white chocolate as a type of chocolate.
What You Will Need: White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
To make this white chocolate cream cheese buttercream frosting recipe, you will need:
- 8 ounces (1 package) cream cheese, softened
- 1 ½ package of white chocolate bars (4 ounces size), melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter, softened
8 Essential Baking Ingredients
Equipment
To prepare this frosting, you will need a large bowl and an electric mixer.
Step by Step Instructions: White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Step One: Melt the White Chocolate
Break the white chocolate into small pieces. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate at 30-second intervals until fully melted. Place to the side and allow it to cool.
Step Two: Beat Cream Cheese and Butter
In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until they reach a smooth consistency.
Step Three: Add Melted Chocolate and Vanilla
Add the melted chocolate and vanilla. Mix until the ingredients are fully combined.
Step Four: Add the Powdered Sugar
Gradually add the powdered sugar to the mixture. Beat the frosting until it reaches a light and fluffy consistency.
This frosting will come out off-white, so you can add food coloring to reach your desired shade.
Tips and Tricks
Melting White Chocolate
Since white chocolate can be a bit tricky to work with, you will want to make sure to microwave it in 30-second intervals, stirring every time until melted. This will allow the white chocolate to fully melt and be free of any lumps.
You can also melt the white chocolate on the stovetop. Simply bring a pot of water to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Place a heat-safe bowl with chopped white chocolate above the pot and mix until the white chocolate is fully melted.
Room Temperature Ingredients
When making this frosting, make sure that the butter and cream cheese are softened. If they are too cold, they will not allow the frosting to reach the proper consistency and it will likely curd. If the butter and cream cheese are melted, it will cause the frosting to be runny.
Creamy Consistency
When buying cream cheese, you want to make sure to get to block kind and not the whipped or spreadable form. The block kind of cream cheese has the least amount of water content in it. Using it will allow your frosting to have the creamiest and richest texture.
To get the smoothest frosting, sift the powdered sugar before adding it to the mixture. Simply measure out the powdered sugar and use a hand sifter or mesh strainer to sift it. Powdered sugar often gets lumps in it, so by sifting it you eliminate the lumps and add more air, making it fluffier and creating a smoother frosting.
This frosting recipe makes enough frosting to frost two cake layers of eight- or nine-inch cakes. It also makes enough to frost a 13-inch x 9-inch cake and 24 cupcakes.
How to Store White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
Due to the cream cheese, this frosting should be stored in the fridge within two hours of use. Cream cheese is not pasteurized, so it can be prone to harmful bacteria if it is stored in temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It can last in the fridge for up to a week and in the freezer for up to three months.
You can allow your cream cheese frosting to thaw for half an hour to an hour to allow it to reach room temperature. This will allow it to reach a smooth and creamy texture.
White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting: Amazing Recipe for Fluffy Buttercream
Equipment
Ingredients
- 8 ounces (1 package) cream cheese softened
- 1 ½ packages of white chocolate bars 4 ounces size, melted and cooled
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 2 cups powdered sugar
- ¼ cup (1/2 stick) butter softened
Instructions
- Step One: Melt the White Chocolate
- Break the white chocolate into small pieces. In a microwave-safe bowl, melt the white chocolate at 30-second intervals until fully melted. Place to the side and allow it to cool.
- Step Two: Beat Cream Cheese and Butter
- In a large bowl, beat the cream cheese and butter with an electric mixer on medium speed until they reach a smooth consistency.
- Step Three: Add Melted Chocolate and Vanilla
- Add the melted chocolate and vanilla. Mix until the ingredients are fully combined.
- Step Four: Add the Powdered Sugar
- Gradually add the powdered sugar to the mixture. Beat the frosting until it reaches a light and fluffy consistency.
- This frosting will come out off-white, so you can add food coloring to reach your desired shade.
Notes
- Since white chocolate can be a bit tricky to work with, you will want to make sure to microwave it in 30-second intervals, stirring every time until melted. This will allow the white chocolate to fully melt and be free of any lumps.
- You can also melt the white chocolate on the stovetop. Simply bring a pot of water to a boil and then reduce the heat to low. Place a heat-safe bowl with chopped white chocolate above the pot and mix until the white chocolate is fully melted.
- When making this frosting, make sure that the butter and cream cheese are softened. If they are too cold, they will not allow the frosting to reach the proper consistency and it will likely curd. If the butter and cream cheese are melted, it will cause the frosting to be runny.
- When buying cream cheese, you want to make sure to get to block kind and not the whipped or spreadable form. The block kind of cream cheese has the least amount of water content in it. Using it will allow your frosting to have the creamiest and richest texture.
- To get the smoothest frosting, sift the powdered sugar before adding it to the mixture. Simply measure out the powdered sugar and use a hand sifter or mesh strainer to sift it. Powdered sugar often gets lumps in it, so by sifting it you eliminate the lumps and add more air, making it fluffier and creating a smoother frosting.
- This frosting recipe makes enough frosting to frost two cake layers of eight- or nine-inch cakes. It also makes enough to frost a 13-inch x 9-inch cake and 24 cupcakes.
- Due to the cream cheese, this frosting should be stored in the fridge within two hours of use. Cream cheese is not pasteurized, so it can be prone to harmful bacteria if it is stored in temperatures above 40 degrees Fahrenheit. It can last in the fridge for up to a week and in the freezer for up to three months.
- You can allow your cream cheese frosting to thaw for half an hour to an hour to allow it to reach room temperature. This will allow it to reach a smooth and creamy texture.
Stabilized Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
You may be wondering what stabilized cream cheese frosting is. When a frosting has been stabilized, it’s simply means it’s been made more stable, which means it’s easier to work with if you’re wanting to use it for piping or filling etc. It also means there’s less chance of it melting, which is great in the warmer months of the year.
To make a stabilized cream cheese frosting, you’ll need the following ingredients:
- 1 cup of full fat cream cheese
- 1 cup of confectioners’ sugar
- 2 1/2 cups of heavy whipping cream
- 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
Now all you need to do is:
- Before you begin, place both your mixing bowl and beaters into the freezer to chill. You should chill them for at least 30 minutes. This helps your frosting to whip more effectively.
- Remove your bowl and beaters from the freezer and add your cream cheese immediately. Mix until the cream cheese becomes fluffy; this should take a few minutes.
- Now pour in your confectioners’ sugar gradually; mixing continually as you go. You may also need to scrape the sides throughout.
- Once light and fluffy, add in your vanilla extract and slowly pour in your heavy whipping cream. Do this in four stages, as this helps the cream to whip better into the frosting.
- Once it begins to thicken and the heavy cream is fully combined, stop mixing. It’s important not to overmix. You should have achieved soft to stiff peaks, depending on what consistency you’re aiming for.
- Your frosting is ready. Use as needed.
TIP: If you’d like to make white chocolate cream cheese frosting, simply replace 1/2 cup of whipping cream with melted white chocolate and fold into your frosting.
Can I Make Cream Cheese Frosting Ahead of Time?
Of course. If you want to plan ahead and make your frosting in advance, you absolutely can. However, cream cheese frosting can not be kept at room temperature for more than a few hours. After this point, it’ll begin to spoil. If kept in an airtight container, you can keep in the refrigerator for around 3 days before use, or in the freezer for around a month before use.
Can You Pipe Cream Cheese Frosting?
Cream cheese frosting can be quite thin and often works better as a glaze but super easy to make pipe-able. The quickest way to achieve this is to make it thicker. And the easiest way to thicken up frosting is simply chilling it. Place your cream cheese frosting into the fridge for at least 30 minutes, and you’ll find it’s a much thicker consistency. If you’re still looking to make it thicker, add a tablespoon of powdered sugar, and mix in. Keep adding until you’re happy with the texture.
Is White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting Bad For You?
It should go without saying that no frosting is good for you. However, cream cheese frosting is one of the healthiest options you can choose when it comes to frosting. This is because it doesn’t typically contain butter. Frostings such as buttercream frosting are full of both fat and sugar.
You can even make cream cheese frosting healthier by using cream cheese, yogurt, maple syrup and vanilla extract as the ingredients instead.
What Can You Use White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting For?
Cream cheese frosting is a great choice for elevating a range of baked goods. Some of my personal favorite uses of cream cheese frosting include:
- cupcakes – such as key lime or pumpkin
- cakes – such as carrot cakes and red velvet cakes
- whoopie pies
- blondies
- cream cheese frosting topped cookies
- cheesecake
A Delicious White Chocolate Confection
The combination of creamy white chocolate and smooth cream cheese makes for a scrumptious frosting. You will love how easy this recipe is to make and how delicious the end result is.
This recipe is definitely one you will want to add to your cookbook. If you tried this white chocolate cream cheese frosting recipe, please share your experience making it.
Please comment if you enjoyed this article or have any remarks regarding this recipe!
Karen is a passionate pastry chef who loves to create delicious baked goods. She has been in the culinary arts for over 10 years, honing her skills and perfecting her craft. Karen is known for her creativity and attention to detail, creating unique desserts that bring a smile to everyone’s face. She is always looking for ways to challenge herself and come up with new recipes that are both tasty and visually appealing. Karen loves to experiment with different flavors and textures, and she is committed to providing the highest quality of products to her customers.