Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting (Thick + Silky!)

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting on vanilla cupcakes.

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting (Thick + Silky!)

Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting is quick and easy to make and turns out thick, silky, and bursting with real strawberry flavor…thanks to a very special ingredient!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 15

Total Time 15

Servings cupcakes (about 3 cups total frosting)

Calories 183kcal

Author Samantha Skaggs

Equipment

Ingredients

1 ½ cups sliced freeze-dried strawberries about 1 ounce
½ cup (1 stick) salted butter softened
8 ounces cream cheese softened
3 to 4 cups powdered sugar depending on your desired consistency & sweetness of frosting
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon pure almond extract optional

Instructions

Pour freeze-dried strawberries into a small food processor (or high-powered blender). Process until crushed into a fine powder (with some small lumps remaining). Set aside.
Using an electric hand mixer (or stand mixer with paddle attachment), beat together the butter and the cream cheese. Slowly and gradually blend in the powdered sugar. Add the vanilla and almond extracts and beat until smooth and well-combined, scraping the bowl as necessary. Slowly blend in the strawberry powder, then beat on high until it's completely incorporated. The longer you whip the frosting, the lighter and fluffier it will become.

Video

Notes

BUTTER: If you use unsalted butter instead of salted, add a small pinch of salt to your Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting.
CREAM CHEESE: Use a block of regular, full-fat cream cheese in this recipe. Cream cheese from a tub, or light/low-fat cream cheese, may have extra air or extra ingredients added that can negatively affect the ultimate texture of your frosting.
POWDERED SUGAR: If your powdered sugar is lumpy, you should sift it first.
ALMOND EXTRACT: If you don’t have any almond extract on hand, you may leave it out.
SWEETNESS + CONSISTENCY: How much powdered sugar you add will affect not only the sweetness but also the consistency of your frosting. For thicker frosting with less powdered sugar, increase the amount of freeze-dried strawberry powder that you add instead.
OTHER FLAVORS: Other freeze-dried fruits (such as peaches, cherries, blueberries, etc.) may be substituted for the freeze-dried strawberries in order to achieve different flavors of cream cheese frosting. Just don’t try substituting dried fruit, which is chewy and leathery and won’t turn into a powder.
YIELD: This recipe will frost 24 cupcakes (spread with a knife) or a sheet cake. For 24 piped cupcakes or a layer cake, you’ll want to make 1.5X or double the recipe.
PIPING: For a shortcut piping bag, scrape your frosting into a gallon-sized, zip-top plastic bag, snip off the corner of the bag, and pipe the frosting onto cupcakes in a spiral, starting from the outside perimeter and working towards the center.
STORAGE: Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting must be stored in the refrigerator. I typically apply it to my cake/cupcakes immediately after making it and then pop the cake/cupcakes in the fridge. I set them out about 15 to 30 minutes ahead of time to come to room temperature before serving. But keep in mind that this frosting will become soft/melt if it sits out on a very hot day.
MAKE-AHEAD: Alternatively, you can make this Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting up to a week ahead of time, cover tightly, and refrigerate. Allow it to come to room temperature and give it a good stir before using it to frost your cake/cupcakes.

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