Can You Freeze Cream Cheese Frosting?

3 minutes

Whether it’s to top a delicious carrot cake or to finish cupcakes, a cream cheese frosting is rich, tasty, moreish and vital in baking. But is it safe to freeze cream cheese icing to ensure you always have a stash at home?

How to Freeze Cream Cheese Frosting

You might be surprised to hear that cream cheese frosting freezes well, especially when cream cheese doesn’t freeze so well on its own!

But as a popular topping for lots of different cakes and brownies, it’s handy to know that this delicious and popular topping freezes well. Here’s how to go about freezing cream cheese topping: 

1. Prepare
   Following your chosen recipe, prepare your cream cheese topping. This recipe is particularly delicious.
2. Leave to Sit
   Once you’ve mixed the frosting together, allow the mixture to sit in the bowl for 20-30 minutes while it settles. 
3. Pour in Freezer-Safe Bags
   Work out the portion sizes you need for each cake that you’d normally prepare, and pour the cream cheese topping into suitably sized bags. 
4. Seal
   Press out as much air as you can from the bag before sealing it. 
5. Label and Freeze
   Write the date that you prepared the cream cheese frosting, as well as its use-by date on the bag, before transferring it to the freezer.

How Long Can You Freeze Cream Cheese Frosting?

I don’t recommend freezing cream cheese frosting for any longer than 3 months, as doing so may cause it to lose some of its taste.

You need to be mindful of the way you store cream cheese frosting when it’s not in the freezer, too, and you shouldn’t keep it at room temperature for too long as it can spoil.

As such, cakes with cream cheese frosting should be refrigerated so the topping doesn’t go bad.

How Do You Defrost Cream Cheese Frosting?

The best way to defrost cream cheese frosting is in the fridge.

Remove the bag from the freezer the night before you need it, and allow it to thaw overnight in the fridge. You can then heat it briefly in the microwave to allow you to easily top your cakes.

However, if you want to speed things up, you can defrost your cream cheese frosting in the microwave, but you need to be careful not to overdo it. If you put it in the microwave, defrost it in short, thirty-second bursts instead of all in one go.

After each burst, give the frosting a quick stir to see if it has thawed through. The last thing you want to do is heat it up too much as it will become a runny mess!

Can You Refreeze Cream Cheese Frosting?

I wouldn’t freeze cream cheese frosting more than once due to its dairy content. If you’re concerned about taking more frosting out of the freezer than you need at any given time, consider freezing it in smaller portion sizes.

This is a particularly helpful tip if you regularly bake cupcakes, as they tend to need smaller portions of cream cheese frosting than bigger cakes.

When freezing most items, it’s important to think about the quantities you normally require.

Don’t try to cut corners and save time by lumping it all into one freezer bag. Instead, make sure you split things up into suitable portions.

Does Cream Cheese Frosting Freeze Well?

Yes, cream cheese frosting does freeze well.

This can be surprising because cream cheese on its own will often split and become grainy when frozen.

Providing you follow the steps listed above and freeze the frosting separately to your cake base, you will struggle to tell the difference between frosting that has been freshly prepared and a topping that has been frozen for several months.