This smooth, velvety, creamy and buttery low‑carb icing is ideal for cakes and cupcakes. It sits somewhere between buttercream and classic cream cheese frosting — not a compromise, but a balanced marriage of cream cheese and butter. I developed it especially for my Fluffy Little Lemon Thingies. You can spread it quickly or pipe decorative swirls and roses — it works perfectly either way.
Buttery Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing
Ingredients
- 8 oz (225 g) full‑fat cream cheese, softened
- 2 sticks (1 cup / 225 g) unsalted butter, softened — preferably organic, grass‑fed
- 2 cups (280 g / 480 ml) Confectioner’s Style Swerve or powdered erythritol
- 1½ tablespoons vanilla extract
- 1–2 pinches (1–2 ml) xanthan gum
Instructions
- Make sure all ingredients are at room temperature. Combine cream cheese, softened butter, powdered sweetener, vanilla extract and a pinch of xanthan gum in a large, deep, narrow bowl.
- Beat with an electric mixer until the mixture becomes light and fluffy. If texture seems loose or watery, add at most one more small pinch of xanthan and beat again — too much xanthan will make the icing gummy.
- Use immediately as filling or frosting, or store in the refrigerator. Bring to room temperature for 20–30 minutes before using if chilled.
Tags
Nutrition information
| Nutrition information | Protein | Fat | Net carbs | kcal |
| The whole batch: | 10.6 g | 250.4 g | 9.9 g | 2335 kcal |
| Per serving (12 servings): | 0.9 g | 20.9 g | 0.8 g | 195 kcal |
| Per serving (16 servings): | 0.7 g | 15.7 g | 0.6 g | 146 kcal |
| Per serving (20 servings): | 0.5 g | 12.5 g | 0.5 g | 117 kcal |
| Per serving (24 servings): | 0.4 g | 10.4 g | 0.4 g | 97 kcal |
| Per serving (28 servings): | 0.4 g | 8.9 g | 0.4 g | 83 kcal |
| Per serving (32 servings): | 0.3 g | 7.8 g | 0.3 g | 73 kcal |
It took some time to arrive at the ideal texture. The main ingredients — cream cheese, butter, powdered erythritol, and vanilla — were obvious from the start. Finding the right ratios required experimentation. Early versions with heavy cream often became runny and sometimes separated. Omitting the cream improved stability but left the icing a little dry and less rich.
The secret to a consistently smooth texture is a small amount of xanthan gum. I discovered xanthan by accident while trying to rescue batches that had separated or become lumpy. A tiny pinch or two (1–2 ml) brought a curdled or watery mixture back to a silky consistency. Be cautious: too much xanthan makes the icing gummy, so add it sparingly.
All ingredients should be at room temperature — especially the butter. Cold butter can leave tiny lumps in the finished icing. I use a generous amount of butter to achieve a richer, velvety texture; this also tames an overly sharp cream cheese flavor.
Different cream cheese brands can behave differently. I found good results with preservative‑free, preferably organic cream cheese. Some brands include stabilizers such as carrageenan, which I prefer to avoid.
Powdered erythritol can sometimes give a slight gritty sensation. If you prefer a smoother mouthfeel, dissolve the erythritol in hot heavy cream, chill it, then add it to the other ingredients — it tends to recrystallize but becomes smooth again when beaten into the icing. Alternatively, liquid sweeteners or stevia can remove grittiness but may introduce aftertaste; xanthan can also help stabilize mixtures with alternative sweeteners.
This Buttery Vanilla Cream Cheese Icing is a simple base you can easily customize. Omit vanilla for a neutral taste or add other flavorings to suit your recipe. Adjust sweetness to taste and choose the sweetener you prefer.
Finally, I’m glad to have a reliable method to fix curdled icing with a pinch of xanthan. What tricks do you use to rescue curdled frosting?