Salted Caramel Frosting
Salted Caramel Frosting is the perfect sweet and salty topping for any dessert. It’s everything you love about traditional salted caramel, but with a warm, molasses-rich twist. With its deep caramel flavor from the brown sugar and a hint of salt, this frosting is the perfect finishing touch for cupcakes, layer cakes, brownies, and more.
Salted caramel is one of those magical flavor combos that never goes out of style. The rich sweetness of brown sugar caramel balances beautifully with a touch of salt, creating a complex, irresistible taste.
When turned into a frosting, it becomes a luscious, spreadable dream that’s way more exciting than classic buttercream.
Here’s why this salted caramel frosting recipe is a must-try:
- Homemade caramel base adds deep, authentic flavor
- Not overly sweet—the salt cuts through the richness perfectly
- Pairs well with vanilla, chocolate, apple, pumpkin, and banana desserts
- Deeper, richer flavor with hints of toffee and vanilla
- Beautiful color—a golden, golden-brown hue that screams caramel heaven
In fact, this frosting became a highlight (and perfect match) with my Easy Chocolate Cupcakes. The silky rich chocolate paired with the sweet and salty frosting was a match made in Heaven.
Making Salted Caramel Frosting
Start with the brown sugar caramel.
In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and brown sugar. Stir constantly until the butter melts.
Whisk to thoroughly combine mixture. More specifically, keep stirring until the oily ring around the edge disappears.
Next, add three tablespoons of cream and the salt. Keep whisking to really combine the ingredients.
Attach the candy thermometer.
Place the candy thermometer on the side of the pan, making sure the bulb is not resting on the bottom of the pan. For an accurate read, the bulb should be above the bottom of the pan.
Give the caramel a quick stir every 20 seconds or so, while the temperature climbs to 230°F. Once there, remove from the heat and let it cool in the pan for a minute while you reach for the heat-safe bowl. It should be a medium or large bowl.
Pour the caramel into the heat-safe bowl and let it cool for 20 minutes as it thickens.
Once cooled, sift the powdered sugar directly into the bowl and add the remaining two tablespoons of cream.
Beat on LOW speed until incorporated, then increase beaters to HIGH for only about a minute. Over mixing this frosting can cause it to separate, or break.
If the frosting is too thick, add another tablespoon of cream until you reach the desired consistency. Keep in mind, however, that as the frosting sits, it also thickens.
Another character trait of this frosting is that it begins to crust on the surface, which is fine. It’s more than fine. It makes biting into it all the better — just you wait and see. Just give it a re-whip before you go to use it.
So, if you want to use this frosting as a glaze or icing, use it right away.
If you prefer, however, to pipe it on, let it sit for a while (20 minutes, or so) to thicken so it will hold its shape when you pipe it on.
I’ll have a little cake with my frosting, please.
For more frosting recipes, you can search the word, “frosting” or click HERE. Listed are a few of my favorites:
- Marshmallow Fluff Frosting
- Any Flavor Pudding Frosting
- Strawberry Milk Shake Frosting
- Brown Butter Frosting
- Homemade Coconut Pecan Frosting (my Mom’s recipe)
If you tried and love this recipe, please leave a 5-star rating on the recipe card and consider leaving a comment below. Thank you so much.
Salted Caramel Frosting
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into a few pieces to melt faster
- 1 cup brown sugar, light or dark
- 5 Tbsp. heavy whipping cream, divided
- 1/4 tsp. salt
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a saucepan over medium heat, combine the butter and brown sugar. Stir constantly until the butter melts. Whisk to thoroughly combine mixture. Keep stirring until oily ring around the edge disappears.
- Once mixture is combined, whisk in 3 tablespoons of cream and salt. Attach a candy thermometer to your pan, making certain the bulb is not on the bottom of the pan — it should be just above the bottom for a more accurate reading.
- Let the caramel come to a boil, giving it a quick stir every 20 seconds or so, until the temperature reaches 230°F. This only takes about 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool for a minute in the pan, then transfer the caramel to a medium or large heat-safe mixing bowl. Allow to cool for 20 minutes while the caramel thickens.
- Sift in the powdered sugar and add the remaining cream. Beat on LOW speed to mix in the powdered sugar, then increase speed to HIGH for about 1 minute. If the frosting is too thick, add 1 tablespoon cream. Avoid over mixing frosting as it can begin to separate, or break.
- Use the frosting immediately as a thin glaze or icing, or give it some time to thicken. The surface will crust a bit, which is fine, just give it a stir. It's best to let the frosting sit and thicken before piping. Enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Salted Caramel Frosting
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