I made cream cheese frosting for the first time yesterday, and while I love the taste, I don't understand why it's so sloppy. When you see cuppies from people like Georgetown cupcakes, the icing looks firm and stable.

This is the recipe I used:
http://glorioustreats.blogspot.com/2010/02/cream-cheese-frosting-recipe.html

I used lite cream cheese... would that have caused it? I even added an extra 1.5 cups of icing sugar to try and stiffen it up. All that did was mask the cream cheese taste... boo hoo

There is a local shop to me who sell cream cheese frosted cupcakes, and theirs is piped into roses! How is it made this stiff?

I'm no expert but I know when I've used light cream cheese in dips and other dishes, it is runnier than the regular cream cheese.
After reading your recipe, I also don't add any liquid other than vanilla favoring. Cream cheese, butter, vanilla and PS...that's it

I made cream cheese icing for the first time last week. I used Edna's recipe found here
http://www.designmeacake.com/cccbc.html

I usually use indydebi's buttercream, so Edna's cream cheese icing was not quite as stiff. I covered the red block in in Lego cake with it and later piped it onto some red velvet cupcakes.

Even full fat cream cheese is not stiff. I choose to keep it less stiff because I want the taste to come through. And I hate powdered sugar, but you need it for cream cheese.

If I needed to pipe with it or make roses, I would up the sugar just for the decorations.

PM me if you would like my recipe. I would just post it, but I need to get it from the bakery if you are interested. I'll tell you which of my cupcakes are CC too.

The recipe seems a little off to me for a stiffer frosting. Add half again as much PS and it will firm up.

I use two sticks butter (8ounces total) and 8 ounces cream cheese. Mix that with 2 pounds PS and you get a great consistency. No liquids at all to this ratio except flavorings.

Remember, you can always firm up an American buttercream with more PS.

Actually I should have said, I didn't add any liquid at all, other than the vanilla. This is the shop near me that sells cupcakes with roses piped on with cream cheese icing:
http://petalcupcakes.co.nz/browse

Now that's what I'm after, that icing doesn't look like it's moving anywhere! I wondered if there was some trick, like meringue powder, or something for stability.

I'd say it's definitely the low fat cream cheese. I tried it once and my frosting seemed to melt off the cupcakes. I know another few people I chatted to had the same experience.

The trick is more powdered sugar. There wasn't enough in the original recipe to hold shape. You need at least two cups (if not more) added to that recipe you posted for it to hold up.