This elderflower frosting is a floral take on traditional cream cheese frosting. It has a lovely floral taste and a super smooth, creamy texture. The recipe uses only 4 simple ingredients and is the perfect topping for spring and summer cakes, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, and cookies!

Elderflower cream cheese frosting
Being a huge lover of elderflowers, I am always looking for new and exciting ways to incorporate the delicate flowers into my recipes. Elderflowers have a floral, slightly fruity, honey-like aroma that I adore and love in food.
This elderflower cream cheese frosting came about when I wanted to create a sweet finish for my elderflower cake and elderflower cookies – but it goes with so much more! I am already dreaming about elderflower cupcakes and cinnamon rolls.
My recipe uses elderflower syrup as a sweetener and skips powdered sugar, which most traditional recipes include. As a result, the frosting is less sweet and has an ultra-smooth, soft texture. Let’s make it!

Ingredients
- 4 tbsp salted butter – Take the butter from the fridge 15 to 20 minutes before you start. The texture should be softened but still cold. If you choose unsalted butter, add a pinch of salt.
- 8 oz full-fat cream cheese – I found this recipe works best with a full-fat, brick-style cream cheese such as Philadelphia. Cream cheese from a tub is too soft and the frosting will not set properly. Like the butter, let the cream cheese soften for about 20 minutes.
- 1/4 cup elderflower syrup – is the star of the show! I prefer my homemade elderflower cordial, but a good-quality storebought product is fine as well. The elderflower syrup from Monin or Belvoir Farm tastes excellent and is available online and at many supermarkets.
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice – makes the elderflower taste shine. Please opt for freshly squeezed lemon juice, not the bottled variety.
Instructions

1. Cream the butter
Place the butter into a large mixing bowl and beat it with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until creamy and light, about 2 to 3 minutes. You can also use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

2. Mix in cream cheese
Add the softened cream cheese and mix for 1 to 2 minutes until the butter and cream cheese are perfectly combined and very smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and check that there are no lumps of butter.

3. Add elderflower syrup
Pour the elderflower syrup and lemon juice into the bowl. Mix at medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until the liquids are fully incorporated. Scraped down the sides of the bowl halfway through.

4. Chill if needed
If the frosting is too soft, place it in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up slightly to a spreadable consistency.
How to use
You can top just about anything with elderflower cream cheese frosting. Here are my favorite ideas to use it:
- Cake: Slather the frosting on cakes and sweet loaves. I love it on my elderflower cake. It’s also delicious on carrot cake, lemon cake, or strawberry cake.
- Cupcakes: Pipe beautiful swirls onto cupcakes and muffins. Elderflower cupcakes are an obvious choice, but the frosting is lovely on vanilla muffins, strawberry cupcakes, and so much more.
- Cinnamon rolls: Give cinnamon rolls a spring makeover and spread it on homemade cinnamon rolls.
- Cookies: Smear it on cookies like elderflower cookies, lemon cookies, or chocolate cookies.
- Breakfast: Serve it with pancakes, waffles, French toast, or bread pudding.

Storage
- Store: Elderflower frosting will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It tastes best at room temperature. I recommend taking it (or the frosted cake/cupcakes) from the fridge 20 minutes before eating.
- Food safety: For food safety, please ensure that the frosting isn’t out at room temperature for more than 2 hours. The frosting starts to melt at temperatures over 80 to 85°F / 26 to 29°C. If you want to serve the frosting at a garden party, keep your treat in the fridge until you are ready to serve.
- Can you freeze the frosting? Cream cheese tends to separate and lose its creamy texture after freezing and thawing, so I don’t suggest freezing this recipe.

Elderflower Frosting Recipe
This elderflower frosting is a floral take on traditional cream cheese frosting. It has a lovely floral taste and a super smooth, creamy texture. The recipe uses only 4 simple ingredients and is the perfect topping for spring and summer cakes, cupcakes, cinnamon rolls, and cookies!
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp / 1/4 cup / 60 g / 2 oz salted butter, softened but still cold
- 1 cup / 225 g / 8 oz full-fat, brick-style cream cheese, softened for 20 minutes
- 1/4 cup / 20 ml / 2 fl oz elderflower syrup
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
Instructions
- Cream the butter. Place the butter into a large mixing bowl and beat it with an electric mixer at medium-high speed until creamy and light, about 2 to 3 minutes. You can also use a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.
- Mix in cream cheese. Add the softened cream cheese and mix for 1 to 2 minutes until the butter and cream cheese are perfectly combined and very smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and check that there are no lumps of butter.
- Add elderflower syrup. Pour the elderflower syrup and lemon juice into the bowl. Mix at medium-high speed for 3 minutes, until the liquids are fully incorporated. Scraped down the sides of the bowl halfway through.
- Chill if needed. If the frosting is too soft, place it in the fridge for 10 to 15 minutes to firm up slightly to a spreadable consistency.
- Use. Enjoy this elderflower frosting on cakes, cupcakes, muffins, cinnamon rolls, cookies, to fill donuts, or in place of regular cream cheese icing.
- Store. Elderflower frosting will last in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It tastes best at room temperature. I recommend taking it (or the frosted cake/cupcakes) from the fridge 20 minutes before eating.
Notes
Use cool-room-temperature ingredients: I typically take the butter and cream cheese out of the fridge 15 to 20 minutes before starting the recipe. You want them softened but still cool to the touch. If the ingredients are too cold, the frosting will end up lumpy. If too warm, the texture will turn out too soft and runny.
Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl often to ensure the ingredients are combined thoroughly and the elderflower syrup doesn’t stick to the side of the bowl.
How much does the recipe make? The recipe yields about 1 1/2 cups of frosting, which is enough to frost a single-layer cake, 12 cupcakes, or 20 cookies. Double the recipe if you want to ice a 2-layer cake or a 9x13 sheet cake.
Nutrition Information:
Yield: 16 Serving Size: 1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 84Total Fat: 8gSaturated Fat: 5gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 2gCholesterol: 22mgSodium: 70mgCarbohydrates: 3gFiber: 0gSugar: 2gProtein: 1g