Can You Freeze Cream Cheese Frosting? Here’s What You’re Going to Have to Do
Updated on March 2, 2023
When it comes to making cakes, having a cream cheese frosting may be better than the regular whipped cream, especially for younger kinds. Plus, some recipes specifically ask for cream cheese frosting, like carrot cake. But, can you make more cream cheese frosting to freeze?
If you can succeed at freezing it, you can skip on a lot of work the next time you’re making carrot cake or cupcakes.
Can You Freeze Cream Cheese Frosting?
One of our readers sent us a message regarding this particular topic, so let’s see what they wrote:
I’m making several carrot cakes to freeze for later use, but I prefer to frost them when I need to use them. The thing is, I don’t want to make a batch of frosting each time.
I would much prefer to prepare a big batch of cream cheese frosting at the same time I make the cakes, but I don’t know if I can freeze it. Can you freeze cream cheese frosting?
The good news is that you can freeze cream cheese frosting, although it can take a bit of work to get the original texture back. Cream cheese itself can have a tendency to go crumbly after being frozen, but as cream cheese frosting has additional ingredients added to it, that effect can be minimized or even eliminated after thawing the frosting completely.
How to Freeze Cream Cheese Frosting?
To freeze cream cheese frosting, prepare frosting according to the recipe. For best results, use the best quality ingredients you can. Then, you have to go through a few steps.
- Once the frosting is prepared, if you’re making a really big batch, you may want to portion it into the amount needed to ice each cake and then freeze them separately. That way you won’t end up with too much frosting being thawed out, as you should never refreeze cream cheese frosting that has been previously frozen.
- Scoop the frosting into freezer bags, and remove most of the air by pressing the bags flat.
- Seal the freezer bags, then label and date them.
- Store the bags in the freezer by stacking them.
- If you prefer to freeze your frosting in containers, scoop frosting into a freezer-safe container and then place a layer of plastic wrap on top of frosting to avoid freezer burn.
- Place the lid on the container, label, and date it, then freeze.
How Long Can You Freeze Cream Cheese Frosting?
For best results, you should use frozen cream cheese frosting within 3 months of being frozen.
How to Thaw Cream Cheese Frosting?
When it’s time to use your frosting, you can go through the following steps:
- To use frosting, remove the container or freezer bag from the freezer and place it in the refrigerator to thaw overnight.
- Never thaw frosting on the counter as the uneven temperature can cause harmful bacteria to grow.
- Once completely thawed, you may notice that the frosting has become watery or has a bit of a crumbly texture.
- Place the frosting in a large bowl and using an electric mixer or a whisk, beat the frosting vigorously to return it to its original texture.
- Then, it’s ready to frost your carrot cake!
Thawed frosting should be used within 2-3 days for best results.