Quick Thick & Fluffy Salted Caramel Frosting
If you are looking for the ultimate caramel frosting for topping cakes and cupcakes, look no further! This recipe features homemade caramel sauce and classic American buttercream that's whipped until thick and fluffy. It's sweet, decadent, and slightly salty. Ready in just 25 minutes!
Servings: 24
Calories: 225kcal
Ingredients
Salted Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 6 tablespoons butter room temperature, cubed
- ⅔ cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon salt
Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup unsalted butter room temperature
- 4 ½ cups powdered sugar
- 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
- ½ cup Salted Caramel Sauce from recipe above
Instructions
Make the Salted Caramel
- In a medium saucepan, heat sugar over medium heat, stirring constantly. Don’t worry when you see the sugar becoming clumpy. It will begin to melt into an amber colored liquid as you continue to heat and stir it. Keep an eye on it, as you don’t want it to burn.1 cup granulated sugar
- Once sugar is completely melted, add in butter (be careful, it may splatter!) and whisk until fully incorporated.6 tablespoons butter
- Slowly drizzle in the heavy cream while stirring the mixture.⅔ cup heavy cream
- Boil for one minute then remove from the heat and stir in the salt. Set aside and allow to cool while you make the buttercream.1 teaspoon salt
Make Buttercream
- In the mixing bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium-high speed until smooth and shiny. Turn the mixer to low speed and add the powdered sugar, one cup at a time. Add the heavy cream, turning the mixer to high speed and mixing until light and fluffy, about 1-2 minutes.4 ½ cups powdered sugar, 1 cup unsalted butter, 1-2 tablespoons heavy cream
- Turn the mixer off, add in the cooled salted caramel sauce (reserve a small amount to drizzle on top later) and beat on medium speed to combine evenly. Using a rubber spatula, spread the buttercream up against the sides of the bowl to break up any air bubbles (this makes for a smooth buttercream). Test to see if buttercream is the right consistency by sticking a rubber spatula straight down into the buttercream and pulling it straight out. If the frosting has a loose curl that flops over, it’s too loose; add up to ½ cup more powdered sugar, a couple of tablespoons at a time, beating well to combine and test again. If the frosting sticks straight up with no curl it’s too stiff; add 1 tablespoon more heavy cream then beat on medium speed until well combined and test again.½ cup Salted Caramel Sauce
- If the frosting has a slight curl to it, it’s ready. Spread the buttercream evenly over cooled cupcakes or cake, then drizzle the reserved salted caramel.
Notes
- This recipe makes enough frosting to frost 24 standard size cupcakes or a 2-tier 8-inch cake.
- Store prepared frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature and mix well with a rubber spatula before using
- Frosting may be frozen in a freezer safe bag for up to 3 months. Allow to thaw to room temperature and mix well with a rubber spatula before using
- To test fort he proper consistency of your frosting, read here: How to thicken buttercream frosting.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 225kcal | Carbohydrates: 34g | Protein: 0.5g | Fat: 10g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.4g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 120mg | Potassium: 18mg | Sugar: 33g | Vitamin A: 353IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 14mg | Iron: 0.03mg
