Satisfy your sweet tooth with this rich and creamy Caramel Frosting, perfect for cakes, cupcakes, and more. With its deep caramel flavor and silky-smooth texture, this homemade frosting will take your baked treats to the next level!
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Why This Recipe Works
- Easy Recipe: This recipe uses a combination of my homemade easy caramel sauce and a variation of my favorite vanilla buttercream recipe that is incredible on its own.
- The Best Caramel: Making caramel from scratch is simple and opens the doors to making it for caramel pecan pie, banana ice cream, caramel cinnamon rolls, and even caramel popcorn!
- Flavor: The caramel flavor is so smooth and rich and incorporates into the frosting beautifully.
What You Need for This Recipe
Caramel Sauce
Unsalted Butter- this needs to be at room temperature for both the caramel sauce and frosting.
Heavy Cream- make sure this is at room temperature too. It will make incorporating into the butter for the caramel much easier than if it is cold.
Frosting
Unsalted Butter: You can use salted butter instead, simply leave out the pinch of salt from the recipe.
Caramel Sauce: You only need 6 tbs of caramel sauce to add to this frosting.
Store-bought Caramel Sauce?
If you don’t have time to make caramel sauce use your favorite store-bought instead!
How to Make Caramel Sauce?
- Step 1: Melt sugar over medium heat stirring constantly. It will turn clumpy before it becomes smooth.
- Step 2: Allow the sugar to continue heating until it is amber in color and smells nutty.
- Step 3: Turn the heat to low and whisk in the butter. It will get foamy.
- Step 4: Slowly whisk in heavy cream until the caramel sauce is smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely before adding to the frosting.
How to Make Caramel Frosting?
- Step 5: Beat butter in a stand mixer until fluffy.
- Step 6: Alternating between cooled caramel and powdered sugar, mix into butter. Add in heavy cream as well.
- Step 7: Mix in vanilla and salt, and then beat on high until fluffy.
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Expert Tips for the Best Caramel Frosting
Butter: Use room temperature butter for smooth caramel and smooth frosting.
Frosting Consistency: If the frosting is too thick add more heavy cream, 1 tbs at a time, until you get the consistency you want. If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time, until you get the consistency you want.
Temperature: If your frosting separates/breaks or becomes grainy it's typically because of temperature and over whipping. Simply stick the bowl of frosting in the refrigerator for 10 minutes then whip on high until smooth and incorporated again.
What to Use Caramel Frosting On?
This frosting tastes incredible with my homemade buttermilk chocolate cake, white chocolate cupcakes, homemade brownies, or these brownie bites.
It tastes great sandwiched between two fall cookies or used as a filling for these soft pumpkin cheesecake cookies.
It would also be great piped onto my white chocolate cheesecake or or used to fill these cream-filled chocolate cupcakes! There are so many options!
Frequently Asked Questions
Frosting can be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to a week. Allow chilled frosting to come to room temperature before using.
Yes! Wrap frosting in plastic wrap and then store in an air-tight container and freeze for up to 3 months! Allow frozen frosting to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then come to room temperature before using.
Mix in more powdered sugar until you get the consistency you want. Start with ¼ cup powdered sugar then increase from there.
More Related Frosting Recipes
If you like this recipe, make sure to check out my dark chocolate buttercream, milk chocolate frosting, lemon cupcakes with lemon frosting, brown sugar buttercream, whipped cream frosting, and my favorite whipped cream cheese frosting.
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Easy Caramel Frosting
Ingredients
Caramel Sauce
- 1 cup white sugar
- 6 tbs unsalted butter at room temp
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream at room temp
Caramel Frosting
- ½ cup butter softened
- 6 tbs caramel sauce
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbs heavy cream
- 1 tbs vanilla
- Pinch salt
Instructions
Caramel Sauce
- In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, add your sugar. Over medium heat melt the sugar stirring constantly. As the sugar melts it will start to clump before it gets smooth.1 cup white sugar
- Once it’s melted, continue stirring, and allow it to become an amber color and start to have a nutty smell. Be careful not to let it go past this stage or else it will burn and no one wants that! If you have a thermometer* the caramel should reach between 340°F and 350°F.
- Once it is the right color, turn heat to low. Add in the butter and whisk together. Whisking helps the butter not separate, or if it does separate from the sugar, it will help it incorporate. Adding the butter will cause the sugar to get really foamy and rise a bit. That’s good! Keep stirring until the butter is fully mixed in.6 tbs unsalted butter
- Once the butter is mixed in, slowly pour in the heavy cream, whisking as you pour. The mixture will become slightly foamy again and that’s fine. As it mixes in completely it will smooth out.½ cup heavy whipping cream
- Pour the caramel sauce into a glass container and allow it to cool.
Caramel Frosting
- Beat the butter in a large bowl in a stand mixer until smooth.½ cup butter softened
- Alternating between the cooled caramel and powdered sugar, mix into the butter. Then mix in the heavy cream.6 tbs caramel sauce, 5 cups powdered sugar, 1 tbs heavy cream
- Once fully combined mix in the vanilla and salt and whip on high until fluffy.1 tbs vanilla, Pinch salt
Notes
- Store-bought Caramel Sauce: You can substitute store-bought caramel sauce for homemade sauce.
- Storage: Frosting can be stored in the refrigerator in an air-tight container for up to a week. Allow chilled frosting to come to room temperature before using.
- Make Ahead and Freeze: Wrap frosting in plastic wrap and then store in an air-tight container and freeze for up to 3 months! Allow frozen frosting to thaw overnight in the refrigerator, then come to room temperature before using.
- Frosting Consistency: If the frosting is too thick add more heavy cream, 1 tbs at a time, until you get the consistency you want. If the frosting is too thin, add more powdered sugar, ¼ cup at a time, until you get the consistency you want.
- Leftover Caramel Sauce: Use leftover caramel sauce on ice cream, pies, or in this banana chocolate smoothie!
Lisa Killian says
This frosting is so good! It's hard not to eat straight from the bowl!
Jackie Rybeck says
Have you ever used the Kraft Caramel squares in the center? Wondering when I should put them in...Maybe 1/2-2/3 through baking, so they will not sink to the bottom, yet still melt. Any thoughts? Can't wait to try these tomorrow.
Lisa says
I haven't used those for cupcakes before. What I would do is try putting them in like 3 cupcakes before baking- just to see if they do sink, and then put 3 in 1/2-2/3 way through- to see what they turn out like. But the easiest way is probably to insert them in right when you take the cupcakes out. Being careful since the cupcakes will be hot, cut a small hole in the top of the cupcake and then press the caramel inside. Similar to how I make my surprise cupcakes except you want the cupcakes to be hot in order to melt the caramel. Then frost over the hole! I would think baking the caramel inside the cupcakes might work but also the caramel might just dissipate somewhat into the cupcake so you won't get a super gooey center. But I really don't know without experimenting. Let me know how it goes!
Kelly Lynns Sweets and Treats says
Oh my gooooooodness! That caramel filling! That's like taking a bite of heaven! These cupcakes have all my favorite flavors....totally wishing I was your neighbor right now. And had so much fun in participating #CupcakeMondays with you 🙂 XOXO
Lisa says
I wish we were neighbors too! Thanks so much! These were super delicious to make and #Cupcake Mondays was a blast!
Katherine | Love In My Oven says
That filling is making me drool big time. Salted caramel is my absolute fave. These are the bomb!!
Lisa says
Thanks!!
camila says
Wow these cupcakes are just absolutely amazing, Lisa!! You had me at caramel center!! YUMMMM!! Id love to devour one!
Lisa says
Thanks Cam! XD They sure got eaten up fast!
Zainab Storms says
Whoa whoa whoa!! These salted caramel cupcakes are EPIC! I love that there's a surprise in the middle too. Yumm! Thanks for joining the #CupcakeMondays party!
Kelsie | the itsy-bitsy kitchen says
WHOA! Salted caramel and chocolate are two of my favorite things. I need to try these!