Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
This Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting is tangy, smooth, sweet perfection! I share how to make it thicker and the best tips for the best consistency and taste!
There’s no other way to say it: this frosting is SO GOOD everyone. It’s definitely one of my favourite top frostings to date (and I was a baker! So I’ve made a LOT of frostings) the other one being my chocolate frosting! I actually can’t believe I’m just sharing this frosting now since I’ve been making it since my carrot cake cupcakes and my red velvet brownies. But this version has been perfected not only in taste but for one thing in specific -> to make it thicker!
Making it thicker: use cornstarch!
If you’ve ever made cream cheese frosting, you know that is has a tendency to be runny. The trick? Add cornstarch. You may or may not know but your powdered/confectioner’s/icing sugar probably has some cornstarch in it, and adding more really helps to thicken this frosting up! The taste is undetectable after the frosting sits in the fridge for at least a few hours and all you taste is tangy, smooth, sweet perfection!
Expert tips and FAQ to make it the best vegan cream cheese frosting
- For the best results, ensuring you’re using vegan cream cheese, not cream cheese spread. A brand like Tofutti or Violife will give you the best results, but don’t panic if all you can find is cream cheese spread! You can still use it and it will still taste delicious, and it will still get very thick in the fridge but it will not be as thick outside of the fridge. I tested both and to be honest, the easy fix is to just keep it in the fridge and whatever Cake you’re using in the fridge too! If you’re making my pumpkin sheet cake, it tastes deliciously moist in the fridge for days anyway!
- Ensure that you let the frosting thicken up in the fridge either before or right after applying it to your fully cooled cake or treat. The frosting really thickens up nicely in the fridge and you can either make it ahead or make it, apply it, then let it all sit together to meld together nicely.
- Start with vegan cream cheese and vegan butter at the same temperature. I like to set them both out of the fridge for at least 20 minutes to come to room temperature around the same temperature.
- Taste test your frosting along the way! Start with the 3 cups and cornstarch, then see if you want the extra cup of powdered sugar. It does help to thicken up the end result more, but it’s up to your taste based on how tangy you want it.
Related Recipes
You absolutely need to slather this frosting over your favourite cakes and mug cakes:
Pumpkin Sheet Cake (coming Friday!)
Pumpkin Mug Cake (incredible here!)
That’s it friends! I hope you love this recipe SO much and put it on everything!
Enjoy friends! If you make this Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting, please snap a photo and tag #jessicainthekitchen on Instagram! We’d also love if you would leave a comment below, and give the recipe a rating! Thanks so much!
Vegan Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 8 ounces vegan cream cheese*, bring to room temperature
- ½ cup vegan butter sticks, bring to room temperature (4 ounces)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or vanilla paste
- pinch of sea salt
- 3 cups to 4 cups of powdered sugar, sifted (480g for 4 cups)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch, sifted (32g)
Instructions
- In the bowl of a mixer, beat the butter and cream cheese together for about 2 minutes until fully incorporated.
- Add in the vanilla extract or paste and the pinch of salt.
- Add in a cup of sifted powdered sugar and all of the sifted cornstarch. Mix for about 1 minute or until incorporated. Add in the powdered sugar 1 cup at a time until the frosting has reached the desired thickness.
- Place the frosting wrapped or covered into the fridge for at least 4 hours or overnight, until being used. You can enjoy it right away, but it will thicken up beautifully in the fridge.
- You can apply it immediately to a cooled cake, then place in the fridge, or place the frosting itself, then apply to the cake later. Enjoy!
Notes
Expert tips and FAQ to make it the best vegan cream cheese frosting
- For the best results, ensuring you're using vegan cream cheese, not cream cheese spread. A brand like Tofutti or Violife will give you the best results, but don't panic if all you can find is cream cheese spread! You can still use it and it will still taste delicious, and it will still get very thick in the fridge but it will not be as thick outside of the fridge. I tested both and to be honest, the easy fix is to just keep it in the fridge and whatever Cake you're using in the fridge too! If you're making my pumpkin sheet cake, it tastes deliciously moist in the fridge for days anyway!
- Ensure that you let the frosting thicken up in the fridge either before or right after applying it to your fully cooled cake or treat. The frosting really thickens up nicely in the fridge and you can either make it ahead or make it, apply it, then let it all sit together to meld together nicely.
- Start with vegan cream cheese and vegan butter at the same temperature. I like to set them both out of the fridge for at least 20 minutes to come to room temperature around the same temperature.
- Taste test your frosting along the way! Start with the 3 cups and cornstarch, then see if you want the extra cup of powdered sugar. It does help to thicken up the end result more, but it's up to your taste based on how tangy you want it.
Disclaimer: Although jessicainthekitchen.com attempts to provide accurate nutritional information, kindly note that these are only estimates. Nutritional information may be affected based on the product type, the brand that was purchased, and in other unforeseeable ways. Jessicainthekitchen.com will not be held liable for any loss or damage resulting for your reliance on nutritional information. If you need to follow a specific caloric regimen, please consult your doctor first.
Delicious! Easy to make. Instead of vanilla, I used fresh squeezed orange juice and added some orange zest. Frosted gingerbread muffins with it. Thank you.
Can this be spread on a cake and then freeze the whole frosted cake?
Hi Margie,
Yes! This would be best if you need it ready for a specific date and maybe you have the time now to frost it but won’t later on. You’d want to kind of flash freeze the cake first, so set it in the freezer on a layer of parchment paper uncovered first for about 2 hours. This will firm up the cake so that the frosting doesn’t smudge under the layers. Wrap the cake in saran wrap, then in foil. You can freeze it for up to a month like this! There are some other methods of freezing cake that I did want to share that might make the thawing process easier depending on the purposes for freezing the whole cake:
For an easier individual slice thawing process, I would highly recommend slicing it up after frosting, then individually packaging each slice and freezing it. Foil, then in freezer safe zipped bags. It’ll make the thawing process a lot easier. If you want to decorate the cake layer, (like you’re prepping in advance), I would recommend freezing the layers separately and then freezing the frosting separately. Then you can thaw it all, assemble it, and you’ll have a freshly frosted cake!
Hope all of this helps!
How long is this frosting good for in the fridge? I made it and it tastes amazing by the way!
Hi Brianne,
It should be good as long as those ingredients are good! 😊 so definitely at least a week (since you usually have to use the milk within 7 days of opening), giving it the smell test after that! So happy you enjoyed!!
This was so great! I used it on a vegan carrot cake. FWIW, I used Miyokos and Toffuti. Thank you!!!
Can I use this for cake decoration such as piping flowers and writing text on cakes?
Hi Laura,
Yes it’s thick enough for that esp straight out of the fridge/sat for a few mins out the fridge. Enjoy!!
Update: it worked out great for writing on my cake using piping tools. I couldn’t get a flower to hold its shape though — BUT, my apartment was very warm and I am going to try again after chilling the frosting longer. This frosting is DELICIOUS, just like all of Jessica’s recipes that I’ve made so far. I’ll use a thermometer to experiment with different temperatures, and want to start at the lowest pipable temperature, then put the piped flower in the freezer to set it.
This is going to be my go-to cream cheese frosting!