Maple Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

This maple cream cheese frosting is 8 ounces of cream cheese and 1/2 cup of butter beaten with 1/4 cup of pure maple syrup, a little vanilla, and 2 to 3 cups of powdered sugar. It takes about 25 minutes, most of that letting the cream cheese and butter soften, and it frosts one 9 inch layer cake or 12 to 18 cupcakes.

The maple syrup takes the place of the milk or cream you would use in a plain frosting, so every bit of liquid adds flavor. You get a soft amber frosting with the tang of cream cheese underneath. I have spread it on spiced Thanksgiving cakes and used it with a rustic maple cheesecake, and it tastes like fall without being one more sweet layer.

What One Batch Covers

• Ingredients: 8 oz block cream cheese, 1/2 cup unsalted butter, 1/4 cup pure maple syrup, 2 to 3 cups sifted powdered sugar, 1/2 teaspoon vanilla, a pinch of fine sea salt
• Time: 10 minutes hands on, about 25 minutes in total
• Covers: one 9 inch layer cake or 12 to 18 cupcakes; double it for a two layer cake with frosting between the layers
• Sugar by use: 2 cups for a soft spread on rolls, about 2 1/2 cups for a cake, up to 3 cups for piping
• Keeps: 5 days in the fridge in an airtight container

Which Maple Syrup Tastes Strongest in Frosting

Use pure maple syrup, never pancake syrup. Pancake syrup is mostly corn syrup with flavoring, and I made that mistake once in a rush. The frosting tasted flat and sweet with no maple at all.

Darker syrup holds up best. Grade A amber or dark, robust syrup keeps its flavor once 2 or 3 cups of powdered sugar go in, while a very light golden syrup fades into plain sweetness. If you want more maple, choose a darker syrup rather than pouring in extra, because more syrup means a softer frosting.

Use full fat block cream cheese, not the whipped or light kind from a tub. Tub cream cheese has more water and air, and the frosting slumps.

Getting the Cream Cheese and Butter Soft Enough

Cream cheese straight from the fridge leaves tiny lumps that never beat out. Butter that is too warm turns the frosting greasy and loose. You want both soft enough to press a finger into easily, but still cool to the touch. I leave them on the counter for about 45 minutes, uncovered.

Beat the cream cheese and butter together on medium high speed for 2 to 3 minutes, until completely smooth and pale. Scrape the bowl and check for lumps now, before any sugar goes in. This is the only point where they are easy to fix.

Pour in the maple syrup and vanilla and beat until fully mixed, scraping down the sides once. The mixture will look loose and glossy. That is normal; the sugar thickens it next.

How Much Powdered Sugar: 2, 2 1/2, or 3 Cups

Add 2 cups of sifted powdered sugar and mix on low so it does not fly out of the bowl. Then turn the mixer to high and beat for 2 minutes. At this point the frosting is soft and spreadable, which is right for cinnamon rolls or a rustic swirl on a sheet cake.

For a layer cake, beat in another 1/2 cup so the edges stay neat. For piped swirls on cupcakes, keep adding up to 3 cups in total, half a cup at a time, until a swipe of frosting holds a sharp ridge. Sifting matters here. Unsifted sugar leaves small white specks you can feel on your tongue.

Taste it once the sugar is in. If it feels too sweet, add the pinch of sea salt. A tiny bit of salt makes the maple stand out and cuts the sweetness more than you would expect.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting vs Maple Buttercream

Maple cream cheese frosting is tangier and softer, and because of the cream cheese it belongs in the fridge. Maple buttercream frosting is made with butter only, so it is sweeter, firmer, and happier at room temperature for a party table. Choose the cream cheese version for carrot, pumpkin, and spice cakes, where the tang balances the sweetness. Choose buttercream when you need tall, crisp piping in a warm room.

Next to a plain cream cheese frosting, the maple version is a little softer, since the syrup adds liquid. For a deeper, nutty flavor, the brown butter cream cheese frosting is the one to try next.

Thinning It Into a Maple Cream Cheese Glaze

For a maple cream cheese glaze or drizzle, make the frosting with 2 cups of powdered sugar. Then stir in milk or a little extra maple syrup, one teaspoon at a time, until it falls from a spoon in a thick ribbon. It sets softly and does not crack like a sugar glaze.

On cinnamon rolls you can skip the thinning. Frost them while they are still slightly warm and the frosting melts just enough to run into the swirls. It works on brown butter cinnamon rolls and over slices of pumpkin bread.

When It Turns Runny, Lumpy, or Too Sweet

• Runny: the cream cheese warmed up or it was beaten too long after the sugar went in. Chill the bowl for 15 to 20 minutes and beat briefly. Do not keep adding sugar past 3 cups; it gets sweeter but still softens as it warms.
• Lumpy: the cream cheese was too cold. Let the bowl sit for 10 minutes and beat again. Next time, beat the cream cheese and butter smooth before the sugar.
• Greasy or shiny: the butter was too warm. Chill for 15 minutes and beat again on medium.
• Too sweet or flat: add the pinch of salt, and use a darker maple syrup the next time.

Cakes, Cupcakes, and Rolls That Suit Maple

This frosting belongs on autumn bakes. Spread it thick on a maple brown butter layer cake, pipe it on pumpkin cupcakes, or use it on a carrot spice cake. I have even swirled leftovers over banana muffins. Frost cakes only once they are completely cool, or the frosting slides.

It also works as a filling for whoopie pies and cookie sandwiches. Chill it first so it is firm enough to hold between the cookies. For a cinnamon maple cream cheese frosting, beat in 1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon with the sugar.

Keeping It in the Fridge or Freezer

Store the frosting in a glass container with a tight lid for up to 5 days. Plastic can hold onto other smells, and the frosting picks them up. To use it, let it come to room temperature, then beat with a hand mixer for about 30 seconds. If it looks split, add a teaspoon of maple syrup and mix again.

It freezes for up to 3 months in an airtight container. Thaw it overnight in the fridge and rewhip before using. A frosted cake goes in the fridge too; take slices out about 20 minutes before serving so the frosting softens and the maple comes through.