Salted caramel buttercream frosting is smooth, creamy, and packed with salted caramel flavor. This salted caramel buttercream recipe is made with homemade salted caramel sauce, and is perfect for using on all types of layer cakes, cupcakes, and cookies! The best caramel buttercream frosting.
Ingredients for Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature butter for easy creaming.
- Powdered sugar – Also known as confectioners’ sugar or icing sugar. No need to sift the sugar, unless it is very lumpy.
- Vanilla extract – Vanilla extract adds amazing vanilla flavor to the buttercream.
- Salt – A hefty pinch of salt provides contrast to the sweetness of the frosting and enhances the caramel flavor.
- Salted caramel sauce – Check out the recipe for my salted caramel sauce! The recipe only contains 5 ingredients and takes only 10 minutes to make! You could use a store-bought caramel sauce if you prefer, but I personally think the homemade caramel has better flavor.
- Heavy cream – To smooth out the frosting and make it super creamy.
Tools & Supplies for Making Buttercream Frosting
- Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- Spatula
- Saucepan – to make the salted caramel sauce
- Wooden spoon
How to Make Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
Before making the buttercream, you must make my homemade salted caramel sauce if you are not using storebought caramel. Check out this blog post to find the recipe and instructions on how to make it! The recipe has 5 ingredients, comes together in about 10 minutes, and all you need is a saucepan and a wooden spoon. No candy thermometer required! The caramel sauce must be completed cooled to room temperature before adding to the buttercream or it will melt the butter.
To make salted caramel buttercream frosting, I recommend using a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or an electric hand mixer.
- Whip room temperature unsalted butter for 5 minutes on medium-high speed until it is light, pale, and fluffy.
- Add powdered sugar in two batches, mixing on low in between each addition.
- Add the vanilla extract and salt.
- Slowly drizzle in the salted caramel sauce while mixing on low speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is well combined. Then, drizzle in the heavy cream.
- Turn the speed on the mixer to medium speed and whip for 3 minutes until the buttercream is light and fluffy.
Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting Recipe Tips
- Check out my baking tips blog post on 10 Tips for Making Perfect Buttercream to learn some great tips and tricks on how to make the best buttercream frosting!
- Be sure that the salted caramel sauce is at room temperature. If the caramel sauce is too warm, it will melt the butter and the buttercream will not whip up well. If you do not want to use homemade caramel sauce, you can use a store-bought caramel sauce, but I do recommend homemade for the best caramel flavor!
- This buttercream pairs perfectly with chocolate cupcakes, vanilla cupcakes, or my brown butter cupcakes! Use it for pumpkin cake, banana cake, or classic chocolate cake. It also pairs well with apple desserts, including my caramel apple cupcakes.
- This recipe makes approximately 4 cups of buttercream. This is typically enough frosting to ice 2 to 3 dozen cupcakes or a three-layer 7-inch or 8-inch cake.
- Store the buttercream in an airtight container or wrapped tightly with plastic wrap in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks or in the freezer for 3 months. Thaw buttercream by bringing it to room temperature and rewhipping for 5 minutes.
Click here to see a quick video on how to make salted caramel buttercream frosting! Follow Cake Me Home Tonight on TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube for more recipe videos and baking tutorials!
Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
- Stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment or electric hand mixer
Ingredients
- 2 cups unsalted butter room temperature
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ cup salted caramel sauce recipe for salted caramel sauce
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, whip room temperature unsalted butter for 5 minutes on medium-high speed, scraping down the sides occasionally. The butter will become light, fluffy, and pale in color.
- Add in the powdered sugar in two batches, mixing on low speed in between each addition until well combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is well mixed.
- Add vanilla extract and salt and continue to mix on low speed.
- Drizzle in the salted caramel sauce and continue to mix on low speed. Then, add in the heavy cream.
- Turn the speed on the mixer to medium speed and whip for 3 minutes until the buttercream is light and fluffy.
Notes
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Comments & Reviews
Shantel says
I paired this frosting with the moist and fudgy chocolate cupcakes, then tinted it green for Halloween cupcakes. A really great combo! ♥️
Courtney says
Ooooo! Chocolate and caramel are a match made in heaven! Glad you enjoyed!!