Salted caramel buttercream frosting is smooth, creamy, and packed with salted caramel flavor. This salted caramel frosting recipe is made with homemade salted caramel sauce, this buttercream is perfect for using on all types of layer cakes, cupcakes, and cookies!
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. You can use regular table salt or sea salt!
- 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.
Tools & Supplies for Making Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
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 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 whisk 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.
- 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
Make perfect buttercream
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!
Butter temperature
If the butter is too cold or too warm, the buttercream will not whip up well. Remove your butter from the fridge and let it hang out on your countertop for an hour or so before making the buttercream. The butter should be slightly softened, but also easily maintain shape and not appear greasy.
Salted caramel sauce
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! Be sure to check out my recipe for salted caramel sauce!
How to use salted caramel buttercream frosting
This buttercream is perfect for cakes and cupcakes! It 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.
Yield
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.
Softer consistency
The consistency of this buttercream is softer than traditional vanilla buttercream due to the addition of the caramel sauce. The frosting pipes well for cakes and cupcakes but may not hold up well for intricate piping or buttercream flowers. If you feel your buttercream is becoming too soft, place it in the refrigerator for 5 minutes and rewhip to create a stiffer consistency.
Storing
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.
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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
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk 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.
- Turn the speed on the mixer to medium speed and whip for 3 minutes until the buttercream is light and fluffy.
- If desired, switch to a paddle attachment on the stand mixer and mix buttercream on low speed for a few minutes to remove air bubbles to create smooth frosting.
Notes
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Comments & Reviews
I paired this frosting with the moist and fudgy chocolate cupcakes, then tinted it green for Halloween cupcakes. A really great combo! ♥️
Ooooo! Chocolate and caramel are a match made in heaven! Glad you enjoyed!!