You will find endless excuses to make this strawberry cream cheese frosting with fresh strawberries! It is creamy, sweet, and perfect for topping your favorite cupcakes, spreading over sheet cakes, or eating straight up with a spoon.
Strawberry frosting with cream cheese tastes just like strawberry cheesecake.
Half the time I eat cinnamon rolls or carrot cake, I'm there for the cream cheese frosting. Add strawberries, and oh my goodness it is so delicious! Creamy, tangy, sweet, and a pink!
This strawberry cream cheese frosting recipes uses FRESH strawberries for a real, sweet strawberry taste. Often recipes call for freeze dried strawberries, but I know they are not always easy to find.
I made this strawberry cream cheese frosting for topping these strawberry cinnamon rolls. It would also taste amazing paired with my fresh strawberry cake.
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Ingredients
This recipe uses FRESH strawberries to make strawberry sauce. Mix the cooled sauce with pantry staples and cream cheese to make the frosting.
- Fresh strawberries
- Granulated Sugar
- Kosher Salt
- Cornstarch
- Unsalted Butter
- Cream Cheese
- Powdered Sugar
- Vanilla Extract
See recipe card for quantities.
Tools and Equipment
- Mini food processor or blender
- Saucepan
- Heat-proof spatula or wooden spoon
- Electric mixer (hand or stand)
How to Make Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
This recipe comes together in two parts. First you'll need to cook pureed strawberries into a thick sauce. Secondly, the cooled sauce is added to cream cheese frosting.
Puree fresh strawberries in a food processor or mini blender.
Cook the puree with sugar, salt, and cornstarch until thick.
Whip up the butter first, then add the cream cheese until smooth.
Add the powdered sugar and fresh strawberry puree until pink and creamy.
Hint: Make the strawberry sauce first so that it has time to cool, about 20 minutes. Adding when hot will make the frosting too soft and melted.
Substitutions
- Freeze Dried Strawberries- similar to the frosting on my Raspberry Cupcakes, you can use finely ground freeze dried strawberries to add real strawberry flavor.
- Strawberry Jam - You can use a few tablespoons of strawberry jam instead of the fresh strawberry puree. However, jam is usually much sweeter so the final frosting might taste more sweet than strawberry. Look for a low sugar or double fruit jam.
Serving and Storage
Spread strawberry cream cheese frosting on all of your favorite treats. It is amazing on cupcakes or swirled on these strawberry cinnamon rolls.
Since it can be a bit soft, try using on a shorter layer cake like this Almond Cake or between soft mini chiffon cake layers. It would make the perfect topping for a sheet cake too!
Recipes using strawberry cream cheese frosting should not sit out longer than 2 hours - shorter if it is warm and the frosting begins to melt.
This strawberry cream cheese frosting can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for one week or freezer for up to three months.
If frozen, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. When ready to use, allow the frosting to come to room temperature (10 to 20 minutes), then stir until spreadable.
Expert Tip
Make sure to whip the butter first by itself until smooth. Add slightly cooler than room temperature cream cheese and mix to combine. Do not over-whip the cream cheese or it will break down and the frosting will be too soft.
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe FAQs
Cream cheese frosting gets too soft if you overmix the cream cheese. It might also be too runny if you started with too soft butter or add too much liquid.
The first thing you should do is place the cream cheese frosting in the refrigerator for 10 to 20 minutes to firm it up. Adding more powdered sugar should not be your first option or the frosting might get too sweet. You can also try whipping in more softened butter then chilling to firm.
Make sure the butter and cream cheese are not too soft. Whip the butter first until completely smooth then add slightly cooler than room temperature cream cheese and mix to incorporate. Overmixng the cream cheese will break it down and make the frosting soft.
Anything with large amounts of dairy should be refrigerated to help prevent food borne illnesses. However, cream cheese frosting or recipes using it may sit out for up to a total of 2 hours - less time if it exceptionally warm.
Recipe Pairings
These are my favorite dishes to serve with Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting:
Recipe
Strawberry Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 1 cup diced fresh strawberries
- 2 tea granulated sugar
- pinch salt
- 1 tea cornstarch
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 8 oz cream cheese cut into cubes
- 3 cups powdered sugar sifted as needed
- 1 tea vanilla extract
Instructions
- Puree the diced strawberries in a mini food processor or blender. Pour into a saucepan along with the granulated sugar and salt. Cook to simmer then reduce the heat to low.
- Make a slurry by whisking the cornstarch with a couple teaspoons water until dissolved. Pour the slurry into the strawberry sauce. Whisk the sauce until it thickens then remove from the heat to cool completely.
- When ready, use an electric mixer to mix the butter until smooth. Add the cream cheese and mix to combine.Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined.
- Add the remaining powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined.
- Add about 4 tablespoons strawberry sauce and the vanilla. Mix to combine.
- Use the frosting to spread on your favorite desserts!
Rebecca Cole
Totally worth making the strawberry sauce from scratch. It tastes like ice cream! I wanted a little more strawberry flavor and my icing was pretty soft, but it still worked out.