Only good things start with the words, salted caramel. So, it makes sense to try out this Salted Caramel Buttercream the next time you feel like putting on your apron!
This Salted Caramel Buttercream recipe is for a buttercream frosting made from homemade salted caramel and cream cheese. It is the perfect pipeable frosting and a great recipe to use on cakes and cupcakes.
If you are looking for some great caramel recipes then have a look at this recipe for Caramel Filled Cupcakes, this recipe for Caramel Chocolate Cupcakes, or this recipe for a Salted Caramel Cake.
Jump to:
Ingredients
To make this delicious frosting you will need the simple ingredients listed below. Remember always to use fresh room temperature ingredients when baking.
- Unsalted butter
- Powdered sugar
- Whole milk
- Granulated sugar
- Sea salt
- Heavy cream
- Cream cheese
Unsalted butter – use unsalted butter rather than salted butter. It is also essential that you use room-temperature butter.
Heavy cream - Heavy cream refers to creams that have a fat content higher than 36%. In South Africa, these creams are often called whipping cream. Please don’t make the mistake of confusing this with double thick cream, it isn’t the same!
Sea salt – for the caramel I used fleur de sel or flaky sea salt, I recommend doing the same.
Cream cheese – choose a full-fat cream cheese for this recipe, and make sure it is at room temperature to avoid a lumpy frosting.
See the recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Follow the simple instructions below to make this easy salted caramel frosting recipe. First, you will make the homemade salted caramel sauce and allow this to cool completely before making the cream cheese caramel frosting.
Instructions for caramel
STEP 1: Heat sugar. Add the sugar to a medium-sized saucepan set over medium heat.
STEP 2: Allow the sugar to turn amber. Whisk continuously until the sugar has melted. Once melted, stop whisking and allow the sugar to turn a light amber caramel color. Be careful not to burn the sugar.
STEP 3: Add the cream. When amber in color, remove the sugar from the heat and add the cream, whisk until incorporated.
STEP 4: Add the butter. Slowly add the cubed butter to the caramel, one block at a time, whisking as you go. Once all the butter has been added, continue to whisk until it has all melted.
STEP 5: Add salt. Add the sea salt to the caramel and whisk to combine. Pour the caramel into a glass jar and allow the caramel to cool to room temperature.
instructions for frosting
STEP 1: Beat icing sugar and butter. Add the icing sugar and butter to a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat at medium speed until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
STEP 2: Add cream cheese. Add the cubed cream cheese and beat at medium-high speed until the frosting is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for about 2 minutes.
STEP 3: Add caramel. Add ½ cup of the cooled caramel and beat again.
STEP 4: Beat until fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat at medium-high speed for a further 3 minutes or until the frosting is light and fluffy. The frosting is now ready to use on cakes or cupcakes.
Hint: For a lump-free smooth buttercream make sure both the butter and cream cheese are at room temperature. Otherwise, you may get lumps of cold cream cheese in your frosting.
Variations
If you would prefer to skip making your own homemade caramel sauce, this recipe can be made with dulce de leche instead. See this recipe for Dulce de Leche Frosting.
Equipment
To make this light and fluffy buttercream you will need a stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer for the best results. Beating the frosting can take up to 10 minutes so you’ll need some help!
Storage
If you want to make this homemade caramel frosting ahead of time, you can. Once made, store it in an airtight container or large bowl covered with plastic wrap and place it in the fridge.
Before using it, remove the frosting from the fridge and bring it to room temperature for a couple of hours before beating it again until it is light and fluffy. Once the frosting is soft and fluffy use it to decorate cakes and cupcakes.
Leftover frosting can be stored in the fridge for up to 4 days. Store it away from strong-smelling foods. I do not recommend freezing buttercream.
Top tips
Use these top kitchen tips below to help ensure you are making the perfect Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
- Use room temperature butter and cream cheese.
- Be sure to beat the frosting for long enough, depending on the temperature of your butter this can take 10 minutes or longer to get the right consistency.
- Use an electric mixer to help you get a fluffy buttercream.
- Never decorate warm cupcakes or cakes, the buttercream will melt.
- Always use the buttercream to decorate as soon as it has finished beating.
- If decorating is difficult because the frosting is too hard, add it back to the mixer and beat it again.
- Always cool your cupcakes or layer cake on a wire rack before frosting.
FAQ
Wait - having room-temperature butter is the most important step in a successful frosting. Choose to wait until the butter has reached room temperature before making this recipe, or cube the butter and heat it gently in the microwave, being careful to not melt it.
When in doubt, keep mixing because getting a fluffy frosting takes time. So if your frosting looks too hard to spread then keep beating it. Be sure to scrape down the sides of the bowl often so that the frosting can mix evenly together.
As soon as the sugar has melted you need to stop whisking. You don’t want melted sugar to go up the sides of the saucepan and crystalize.
I love swirling this frosting onto a moist chocolate cake or soft vanilla cupcakes. This recipe makes enough frosting to layer cakes that are two layers or decorate 24 cupcakes. Use the extra caramel sauce as a filling for your cakes or cupcakes, or pour a caramel drizzle over your favorite vanilla ice cream.
This caramel buttercream icing is probably my best buttercream recipe but if you are looking for other buttercream flavours try out this Biscoff Buttercream or this Nutella Buttercream recipe.
I hope you give this caramel icing a go, and if you do please leave a comment and star review below – I love hearing from all of you!
Don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter and follow along at @with_love_kitty to make sure you never miss a recipe.
Happy Baking
With Love,
Kitty
📖 Recipe
Salted Caramel Buttercream
Ingredients
Salted Caramel
- 100 g sugar white granulated
- 60 ml heavy cream
- 80 g butter unsalted
- 2 teaspoon sea salt
Caramel Frosting
- 600 g powdered sugar
- 100 g butter unsalted
- 250 g cream cheese
- ½ cup salted caramel from above
Instructions
Salted Caramel
- Add the sugar to a medium-sized saucepan set over medium heat.
- Whisk continuously until the sugar has melted. Once melted, stop whisking and allow the sugar to turn a light amber color. Be careful not to burn the sugar.
- When amber in color, remove the sugar from the heat and add the cream, whisk until incorporated.
- Slowly add the cubed butter to the caramel, one at a time, whisking as you go. Once all the butter has been added, continue to whisk until it has all melted.
- Add the sea salt to the caramel and whisk to combine. Pour the caramel into a glass jar and allow the caramel to cool to room temperature.
Caramel Frosting
- Add the icing sugar and butter to a bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat until the mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.
- Add the cubed cream cheese and beat at medium-high speed until the frosting is smooth. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again for about 2 minutes.
- Add ½ cup of the cooled caramel and beat again.
- Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula and beat at medium-high speed for a further 3 minutes or until the frosting is light and fluffy. The frosting is now ready to use on cakes or cupcakes.
Julia says
This is my new favourite frosting recipe! Thank you!
Alex says
This buttercream went so well with my chocolate cupcake recipe! Thank you!