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Easy Brown Butter Caramel Icing Recipe

This easy brown butter caramel icing combines nutty browned butter, light brown sugar, heavy cream, vanilla, and powdered sugar to create a rich, smooth homemade caramel icing. It’s ready in about 15 minutes and is perfect for yellow cake, pound cake, cupcakes, Bundt cakes, and more.

Ingredients

Ingredients

  • * ½ cup salted butter
  • * 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • * ¼ cup heavy cream
  • * 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • * 1½ cups powdered sugar sifted

Instructions

Instructions

  1. Have your completely cooled cake ready to frost before preparing the icing.
  2. Add the salted butter to a light-colored medium saucepan over medium to medium-low heat.
  3. Allow the butter to melt completely. Continue cooking, stirring or swirling frequently, as the butter begins to foam.
  4. Watch the bottom of the saucepan carefully. Once the milk solids become golden brown and the butter develops a toasted, nutty aroma, immediately reduce the heat to low.
  5. Add the packed light brown sugar to the browned butter.
  6. Cook over low heat for approximately 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly. Do not increase the heat. Keeping the temperature low helps prevent the sugar mixture from stiffening or forming hard pieces.
  7. Slowly pour in the heavy cream while stirring constantly.
  8. Allow the mixture to come to a gentle simmer. Continue cooking for approximately 1–2 minutes, stirring constantly.
  9. Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the caramel mixture to cool for 3–5 minutes.
  10. Stir in the vanilla extract.
  11. Gradually whisk in the sifted powdered sugar until the icing is smooth, glossy, and thick but still spreadable.
  12. Immediately pour or spread the warm brown butter caramel icing over your completely cooled cake.
  13. Work quickly because the icing will continue to thicken and set as it cools.
  14. Allow the icing to set before slicing and serving.

Recipe Notes

Recipe Notes

Brown the butter carefully. Look for golden-brown milk solids and a toasted, nutty aroma. Brown butter can go from perfectly toasted to burnt quickly.

Turn the heat down before adding the brown sugar. This is one of the most important steps in the recipe. High heat can cause the sugar mixture to stiffen or develop hard pieces.

Stir constantly. Once the brown sugar is added, don’t walk away from the saucepan.

Sift the powdered sugar. This makes it easier to achieve a smooth icing without lumps.

Don’t add extra powdered sugar too quickly. The icing naturally thickens as it cools.

Have your cake ready. Once the powdered sugar is incorporated, it’s go time.

If the icing gets too thick: Whisk in heavy cream 1 teaspoon at a time until it reaches your desired consistency.