Nothing Bundt Cake Frosting Recipe: Copycat Cream Cheese Frosting (Plus Spice Cake Directions)
Thick, silky and pipeable, in those signature wide ribbons. Five ingredients, ten minutes, and a copycat spice bundt cake to put it on.
- Covers 1 bundt cake
- 10 minutes
- 5 ingredients
- Make ahead
This Nothing Bundt Cake frosting recipe is a bakery favorite that turns out to be simple: a dense yet light cream cheese frosting that pipes in thick, glossy ribbons.
Quick answer
This copycat Nothing Bundt Cake frosting recipe beats 8 oz softened block cream cheese with ½ cup soft butter until fluffy, then adds 3 cups sifted powdered sugar, vanilla and a pinch of salt. Loosen with heavy cream a teaspoon at a time, then pipe thick ribbons down a fully cooled bundt cake with a large round tip.
Nothing Bundt Cake frosting, piped in thick cream cheese ribbons.
Why This Copycat Frosting Works
If you have ever cut into a bakery bundtlet and wondered how the frosting manages to be so dense and so light at once, the answer is the balance of cream cheese, butter and powdered sugar, and the order they go in.
Most home bakers rush it and end up with frosting too soft to pipe or too stiff to glide.
Here the approach is a little slower: soft dairy, beaten until truly fluffy before any sugar goes in, then small touches of cream to set the texture. The frosting holds tall, thick ribbons and still melts gently on the tongue.
Block cream cheese
Firm and less watery, so the ribbons hold their shape.
Beaten in stages
Cream cheese, then butter, then sugar: no lumps, no grain.
Sifted sugar
Thirty seconds of sifting for a silky finish.
Cream to finish
A teaspoon at a time for the exact piping texture.
Nothing Bundt Cake Frosting Recipe
The card makes enough for one 10 to 12-cup bundt cake. Tap ½x for a small cake, or 1½x and 2x for extra-thick ribbons or two cakes.
Fluffy, glossy and ready to pipe.
Nothing Bundt Cake Cream Cheese Frosting (Copycat)
A thick, silky, pipeable cream cheese frosting for bundt cakes and bundtlets. Tap the batch size and every amount updates.
Batch
Ingredients
Cream cheese frosting- 4 oz8 oz12 oz16 oz full-fat block cream cheese, room temperature
- ¼ cup½ cup¾ cup1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1½ cups3 cups4½ cups6 cups powdered sugar, sifted
- ½ tsp1 tsp1½ tsp2 tsp alcohol-free vanilla
- a pincha pinch⅛ tsp⅛ tsp fine salt
- 1 to 2 tsp2 to 4 tsp1 to 2 tbsp2 to 3 tbsp heavy cream, as needed
- ½ tsp1 tsp1½ tsp2 tsp cornstarch, optional, for warm kitchens
Block cream cheese only. Tub-style cream cheese is softer and wetter and will not hold the thick ribbons.
Instructions
Beat the cream cheese
Beat the softened cream cheese on medium for 2 full minutes, until glossy, smooth and slightly increased in volume.
Add the butter
Add the butter and beat 2 more minutes on medium to medium-high, until it turns nearly white and fluffy.
Add the sugar slowly
On low, add the sifted powdered sugar (and cornstarch, if using) in three additions, letting each disappear before the next.
Flavor and whip
Add the vanilla and salt and beat on medium-high for 1 minute.
Adjust
If it is too thick to pipe, beat in cream a teaspoon at a time. It should hold a soft peak, like very stiff whipped cream. Chill 15 minutes if it feels soft.
Pipe
Spoon into a piping bag fitted with a large round tip (about ½ inch). Pipe thick ribbons from the inner edge of a fully cooled bundt cake down the outside, spaced around the cake.
Set
Refrigerate the frosted cake 20 minutes to set the ribbons before slicing.
Gear for Bakery-Style Frosting
A big round tip, a large bag and a good bundt pan do most of the work.
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What You Need and Why It Matters
| Ingredient | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| IngredientBlock cream cheese | UseFull fat, room temperature | WhyTub style is too soft to pipe |
| IngredientUnsalted butter | UseRoom temperature | WhyBody and richness; you control the salt |
| IngredientPowdered sugar | UseSifted | WhySweetness and structure without grit |
| IngredientAlcohol-free vanilla | Use1 tsp per batch | WhyRounds out the flavor |
| IngredientSalt | UseA pinch | WhyKeeps it from tasting flat |
| IngredientHeavy cream | UseA teaspoon at a time | WhyFine-tunes the piping texture |
| IngredientCornstarch (optional) | Use1 tsp per batch | WhyExtra hold in a warm kitchen |
Take the cream cheese and butter out of the refrigerator at least an hour ahead; they should be soft all the way through, not just on the outside. For the most consistent results, weigh the powdered sugar: 3 cups sifted is about 360 g.
How to Make It Step by Step
Beat the cream cheese alone first, on medium for two full minutes. This is not just mixing: it smooths out every lump and whips in a little air, so the cheese turns glossy and slightly fluffy.
Add the butter and beat two more minutes. The mixture lightens from pale yellow to nearly white. This stage decides the final texture, so do not cut it short; any small lumps will beat out here.
Switch to low and add the sifted sugar in three additions. Dumping it in all at once sends up a cloud and makes the frosting dense. Add the vanilla and salt, then beat on medium-high for one minute.
Check the texture: it should hold a soft peak, like very stiff whipped cream. Thin with cream a teaspoon at a time, or chill 15 minutes if it is too soft.
How to Pipe the Signature Thick Ribbons
Thick, evenly spaced ribbons with cake showing between them.
| Step | What to do |
|---|---|
| Step1. Cool the cake | What to doCompletely, at least 2 hours; warm cake melts the frosting |
| Step2. Fit the bag | What to doA large round tip about ½ inch wide, or snip a ½-inch opening |
| Step3. Start at the center | What to doHold the tip at the inner rim of the cake, just above the hole |
| Step4. Pipe down and out | What to doSqueeze steadily as you draw a thick strip over the top and down the outside |
| Step5. Space them evenly | What to do8 to 10 ribbons around a full bundt; 4 to 6 on a bundtlet |
| Step6. Set | What to doRefrigerate 20 minutes before slicing or covering |
Work with steady pressure and confidence; this frosting is forgiving, and a ribbon can be scraped off and piped again.
Nothing Bundt Cake Spice Cake Copycat: Directions
Warm spice cake under cool, tangy cream cheese frosting.
The most-searched pairing for this frosting is a spice cake. This copycat starts with a boxed spice cake mix, made richer and moister with instant pudding and sour cream, the same doctored-mix method many bakery copycats use.
| Ingredient | Amount |
|---|---|
| IngredientSpice cake mix | Amount1 box (about 15 oz) |
| IngredientInstant vanilla pudding mix | Amount1 small box (3.4 oz) |
| IngredientSour cream | Amount1 cup |
| IngredientLarge eggs | Amount4 |
| IngredientVegetable oil | Amount½ cup |
| IngredientWater or milk | Amount½ cup |
| IngredientGround cinnamon (optional) | Amount1 tsp extra |
| Step | Directions |
|---|---|
| Step1. Prep | DirectionsHeat the oven to 350°F. Grease and flour a 10 to 12-cup bundt pan very well, getting into every ridge |
| Step2. Mix | DirectionsBeat everything together 2 minutes on medium until smooth and thick |
| Step3. Bake | DirectionsBake 45 to 50 minutes (bundtlets 18 to 22 minutes) until a skewer comes out clean |
| Step4. Release | DirectionsCool 10 minutes in the pan, then invert onto a rack |
| Step5. Cool fully | DirectionsAt least 2 hours before frosting |
| Step6. Frost | DirectionsPipe the cream cheese frosting in thick ribbons |
For a spiced frosting to match, add ¼ tsp cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg to the 1x batch.
Frosting Flavor Variations
The base pairs with almost any bundt cake. Tap a flavor:
Spiced
Add ¼ tsp cinnamon and a pinch of nutmeg. Perfect on spice, carrot or pumpkin bundt cakes.
Lemon
Swap the vanilla for 1 to 2 tsp lemon juice and 1 tsp lemon zest. Great on lemon blueberry cake.
Chocolate
Sift 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa in with the sugar. Try it on red velvet or chocolate cake.
Almond
Replace half the vanilla with alcohol-free almond extract.
Orange
Use orange zest and 1 tsp orange juice. Lovely on cranberry orange cake.
Honey Vanilla
Replace 2 tbsp of the sugar with 1 tbsp honey for a floral sweetness.
Frosting Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| ProblemToo soft to pipe | CauseWarm kitchen or too much cream | FixChill 15 to 20 minutes; add 1 tsp cornstarch |
| ProblemLumpy | CauseCold cream cheese or butter | FixSoften fully; beat cream cheese alone first |
| ProblemGrainy | CauseUnsifted sugar | FixSift; beat 2 more minutes |
| ProblemToo sweet | CauseTangy-mild cream cheese, too much sugar | FixPinch more salt; a little lemon juice |
| ProblemSliding off the cake | CauseCake still warm | FixCool completely; chill the frosted cake to set |
| ProblemToo stiff | CauseToo much sugar or cold | FixBeat in cream a teaspoon at a time |
If the frosting is too soft, resist adding more sugar; it only makes it sweeter. Chill it instead, then beat briefly and pipe.
How to Store Frosting and Frosted Cakes
| Plan | How | Keeps |
|---|---|---|
| PlanFrosting, make ahead | HowAirtight container in the refrigerator | Keeps5 days |
| PlanFrosting, frozen | HowAirtight container; thaw overnight and re-whip | Keeps3 months |
| PlanFrosted cake | HowLoosely covered in the refrigerator | Keeps4 days |
| PlanUnfrosted bundt cake | HowWrapped twice in plastic, frozen | Keeps3 months |
Chilled frosting firms up and holds its piped shape well, which helps when carrying a cake. Set the cake out about 30 minutes before serving so the frosting softens and the cake tastes its best.
Nothing Bundt Cake Frosting: FAQs
What frosting does Nothing Bundt Cakes use?
A thick cream cheese frosting piped in wide ribbons. This copycat uses block cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar and vanilla to get the same dense, silky texture.
How do I get the Nothing Bundt Cake frosting look?
Use a large round tip about ½ inch wide and pipe thick strips from the center hole down the outside of the cake, with cake showing between them.
What are the directions for the spice cake with this frosting?
Bake a copycat spice bundt cake (see the directions above), cool it completely, then pipe the cream cheese frosting in thick ribbons.
Why add cornstarch to cream cheese frosting?
A teaspoon helps the frosting hold its shape in a warm kitchen without adding more sugar. It is optional.
Can I use tub cream cheese?
No. Tub cream cheese has extra moisture and makes the frosting too soft to pipe. Use full-fat block cream cheese.
Why is my frosting runny?
The butter or cream cheese was too warm, or too much cream went in. Chill 15 to 20 minutes and beat again.
Why is my frosting lumpy?
The cream cheese or butter was still cold in the center. Let both sit out at least an hour.
Why is my frosting grainy?
Unsifted sugar or fats that were not fully softened. Sift the sugar and beat 2 more minutes on medium-high.
How do I make it less sweet?
Use 2½ cups powdered sugar and add a pinch more salt. Chill it so it pipes despite the lower sugar.
Can I make it without a stand mixer?
Yes. A hand mixer works well; keep the beaters moving during the first two beating stages.
How much frosting do I need for a bundt cake?
The 1x batch covers one 10 to 12-cup bundt cake with generous ribbons, or about 12 bundtlets.
Can I make the frosting ahead?
Yes. Refrigerate in an airtight container up to 5 days, rest 20 to 30 minutes at room temperature, then beat briefly.
Can I freeze cream cheese frosting?
Yes, up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator and re-whip before piping.
Does a frosted bundt cake need to be refrigerated?
Yes. Keep it loosely covered in the refrigerator up to 4 days and set it out 30 minutes before serving.
Can I tint the frosting?
Yes. Use gel food coloring, which adds color without extra liquid; beat it in on low.
Is there a dairy-free version?
Dairy-free block cream cheese and butter alternatives work, though results vary by product; chill longer before piping.
More Bundt Cakes and Frostings
Cakes to frost and frostings to try.
Thick, silky ribbons of cream cheese frosting, just like the bakery.
Pin this Nothing Bundt Cake frosting recipe so the frosting, piping steps and spice cake directions are ready for your next celebration.
