How To Fix Separated Cream Cheese Frosting (And Prevent It In The First Place)

Creating a homemade cream cheese frosting is no small feat. People should be proud of using fresh ingredients and valuable kitchen time for the ultimate frosted cakes, cookies, cake pops, muffins, and fancy cupcakes. For any type of frosting, prevailing wisdom says: the richer and smoother, the better. That's why we reached out to an expert for some practical tips on making the widely acclaimed cream cheese frosting.

Specifically, we asked Sandy Folsom, School Director of the Wilton Sweet Studio, to share some advice on fixing separated cream cheese frosting — and preventing it from happening in the first place. After all, the creamy, blended nature of frosting is the defining feature, one that's impossible to ignore when it goes awry. Ensuring the smooth stability is less about what countertop appliance you use, and more about things like temperature and technique.

First of all, Folsom says you should "make sure to use a trusted recipe" and then turn your attention to the ingredients. Details are crucial here, specifically the temperature of the two core components: the cream cheese and the butter. Folsom cautions to make sure all your ingredients are at the same temperature. "If your butter is room temperature and your cream cheese is cold, you'll end up with a curdled frosting," she explains. "The physical room temperature is important too; make sure the room isn't too warm (you'll want the oven to be off if possible) when mixing, to lower the risk of separation."

While it's very useful to know preventive techniques in baking, there will always be times when things go slightly off the rails. That applies to frosting just as it does any other step of the baked-goods journey. If, despite your best intentions, you fall short, there still may be time for a salvage operation.

"If your cream cheese frosting does separate or your frosting appears soupy or runny," says Sandy Folsom, "stop mixing and chill the bowl and paddle for about 10 minutes until the mixture solidifies a bit, then re-mix it." However, there's a delicate dance in this process as well, she explains. "Make sure not to over mix cream cheese frosting though; it's more sensitive to over mixing than others."

If you're a newbie at making cream cheese frosting from scratch, it helps to know exactly what ingredients make that smooth magic happen. Creating a classic cream cheese frosting typically means using cream cheese, real butter, vanilla extract, and powdered sugar, also known as confectioners' sugar. Some folks advocate for unsalted butter, since cream cheese is enough on its own to balance the sometimes overpowering sweetness of confectioners' sugar. Additional twists on basic cream cheese frosting can range from cocoa powder or lemon for flavored icings, or even adding a touch of milk for a slightly thinner and more spreadable topping.