This easy Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting without lumps of butter or cream cheese is ready in under 30 minutes and has the perfect spreadable consistency for cakes, cupcakes, and even cinnamon rolls.
If you love cinnamon-flavored baking recipes, you can't skip this Spiced Pumpkin and Carrot Cake with Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting or this Pumpkin Loaf Cake.
Why This Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe Works
- Recipe name: Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
- Ready in: 30 minutes
- Serves: 2 cups
- Main ingredients: Icing sugar, butter, cream cheese, and ground cinnamon.
- Perfect for: Decorating cakes and cupcakes. This homemade frosting recipe makes enough frosting for a loaf cake, 12 cupcakes, or a single-layer cake.
- Why I love it: This frosting has the perfect creamy, smooth texture without any lumps from the butter or cream cheese.
- Calories: 1399kcal
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Great frosting recipes make decorating cakes and cupcakes so much easier! That's why I have a whole section of this blog dedicated to Simple Buttercream Frostings for Homemade Cakes and Cupcakes. Don't skip this Classic Vanilla Bean Buttercream or this Chocolate Frosting with Melted Chocolate.
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Key Ingredients
- Unsalted butter - Use unsalted room-temperature butter.
- Cream cheese - Use full-fat Philadelphia cream cheese at room temperature.
- Vanilla extract - Use a quality vanilla extract rather than a vanilla essence for this recipe.
- Ground cinnamon - Use finely ground cinnamon, or a spice mix with cinnamon if you don't have only ground cinnamon.
See the recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.
Variations
This recipe is for a loose frosting, which is ideal for loaf cakes and single-layer cakes. It is not great for stacking cakes that require a more stable frosting. If you're looking for a stackable cream cheese frosting recipe, see this Naked Carrot Cake Recipe for inspiration.
This Chocolate Sheet Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting or this Vanilla Apple Tea Cake would be delicious with this creamy cinnamon frosting.
How to Make Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Step 1: Add the butter and icing sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
- Step 2: Add the cubed cream cheese to the icing sugar mixture and beat at low speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again at high speed until light and fluffy. Do not overmix.
- Step 3: Add the vanilla and cinnamon to the cream cheese mixture, and beat again until just combined.
- Step 4: Add the frosting to a prepared piping bag or use an offset palette knife to spread it over cakes and cupcakes.
Storage
I recommend using this cinnamon-cream cheese frosting as soon as you have made it. Frosting tends to harden as it stands; use it as soon as it is ready for the perfect spreadable consistency.
How to Make Lump-Free Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- For lump-free frosting, make sure the cream cheese and butter are both at room temperature. If one is colder than the other, you can get lumps in your frosting, and trying to beat these away will result in a runny frosting.
- Use an electric mixer to help achieve a fluffy frosting.
- Use a paddle attachment rather than a whisk attachment to make this recipe.
- Cube the butter and cream cheese so that they incorporate easily into the mixture.
- You may need to sift your icing sugar depending on the moisture in the air where you live or the brand you use; it shouldn't be clumpy when added.
- Be sure you mix the frosting for long enough, but don't overbeat it; otherwise, it can become runny.
- Always cool cakes and cupcakes on a wire rack before frosting them; otherwise, the frosting will melt.
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting FAQs
The butter and/ or cream cheese were not at room temperature when added. This creates lumps that are almost impossible to remove. Cold cream cheese is probably the biggest culprit for lumpy frostings.
Cream cheese frostings can become runny if you overmix them. To help salvage the frosting, add more sifted powdered sugar. I recommend adding 50 grams at a time.
Store any leftover frosting in an airtight container in the fridge until needed. Bring it to room temperature, then re-whip it before using it to decorate cakes and cupcakes.
To do this, bring the frosting back to room temperature and then place it in a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium-high speed until light and fluffy. The frosting will keep in the fridge for about 3 days.
For the best consistency, I do not recommend freezing this frosting.
Yes! This frosting is a great match for cinnamon rolls thanks to its soft, spreadable consistency - it's easy to spoon or spread over warm rolls without tearing them. For the best result, spread it on rolls that have cooled slightly rather than piping-hot from the oven, since too much heat will cause the frosting to melt and become very runny.
Easy Baking Recipes with Cinnamon
This cinnamon cream cheese icing is so good you may be tempted to leave the cake part out altogether! If not, try this Banana Bread with Cream Cheese Frosting, or spread this frosting recipe over this Spiced Banana Bundt Cake with Sour Cream and leave out the caramel sauce!
Happy Baking, With Love, Kitty
Please leave a star rating and comment below if you tried this recipe! And if you're wondering what to try next, have a look at this Vanilla Bean Custard!
📖 Recipe
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 400 g powdered sugar sifted
- 50 g unsalted butter cubed, room-temperature
- 250 g cream cheese cubed, room-temperature
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
Instructions
Cinnamon Cream Cheese Frosting
- Add the butter and icing sugar to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed until the mixture looks like fine breadcrumbs.
- Add the cubed cream cheese to the icing sugar mixture and beat at low speed until combined. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again at high speed until light and fluffy. Do not overmix.
- Add the vanilla and cinnamon to the cream cheese mixture, and beat again until just combined. Your frosting is now ready to use!
Notes
- Cube your cream cheese and butter before adding them to the icing sugar. This helps the frosting combine more quickly and easily.
- For a lump-free, smooth cream cheese frosting, ensure the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature.
Lee says
This was delicious, I love the cinnamon flavour and the texture of this frosting.