Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
This salted caramel buttercream frosting is silky, sweet, and perfectly balanced with homemade salted caramel sauce and a hint of sea salt to bring out its rich caramel flavor. It’s the ultimate topping for cupcakes, cakes, cookies, or anything that needs a little extra indulgence.
This salted caramel buttercream is a little salty, a little sweet, and totally unforgettable.
All you need is 6 ingredients and 10 minutes to make this dreamy caramel frosting, so you’ll be swirling it on cupcakes before Doc Brown hits 88 miles per hour.
Perfectly pipeable and silky to spread with a rich and buttery caramel flavor from homemade salted caramel sauce that will knock your socks off!
One spoonful of this sweet-salty swirl and you’ll be ready to do high kicks in leg warmers across your kitchen.
If salted caramel makes you want to moonwalk, check out my salted caramel sauce, salted caramel pumpkin cupcakes and caramel apple cupcakes.
Ingredients for Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
- Unsalted butter – Room temperature.
- Powdered sugar
- Salted caramel sauce – Use my homemade salted caramel sauce for best results.
- Heavy cream
- Vanilla extract
- Salt
How to Make Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
Step 1: Whip the butter for 5 minutes until light, pale, and creamy.
Step 2: Add in the powdered sugar and mix on low speed until combined.
Step 3: Add in the homemade caramel sauce, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt and mix until combined and smooth.
Step 4: Whip the frosting for 2 to 3 minutes on medium speed until smooth and creamy. Then, mix on low speed for several minutes to remove the air bubbles.
Courtney’s Expert Buttercream Tips
- Make the salted caramel sauce up to a month in advance.
- Make sure the caramel sauce is room temperature so it easily combines with the other ingredients. If you made it ahead of time, heat the caramel in the microwave in 10 second intervals until it is room temperature.
- Whip the butter for about 5 minutes before adding any additional ingredients. This will help the butter become light, pale, and creamy and helps make a super smooth and light buttercream. Make sure the butter is room temperature.
- To make super smooth buttercream, heat 1 cup of the frosting in the microwave for about 15 seconds to melt it slightly. Then, add the melted buttercream back to the mixing bowl and mix on low speed for several minutes.
- Check out my posts on 10 Tips for Making Perfect Buttercream and How to Make Smooth Buttercream Frosting to learn more helpful tips and tricks to make the best buttercream.
Frequently Asked Questions
For this recipe, I strongly recommend going with homemade salted caramel sauce for the best results. Can you use store-bought? Sure! But each brand of caramel sauce can be a little different, so I can’t guarantee how the recipe will turn out. With my homemade salted caramel sauce, I know it will be perfect every time!
This salted caramel frosting recipe pairs well with vanilla, chocolate, pumpkin, carrot, apple, and banana cakes and cupcakes.
This recipe makes enough buttercream to frost 2 to 3 dozen cupcakes or a 3-layer 7-inch cake.
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Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
Ingredients
- 2 cups (454 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
- 5 cups (600 g) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (113 g) salted caramel sauce (recipe)
- 2 tbsp (30 g) heavy cream
- 1 tbsp (15 ml) vanilla extract
- ½ tsp (0.5 tsp) salt
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment or in a large mixing bowl with an electric hand mixer, whip the room temperature unsalted butter for 5 minutes until light, pale, and creamy.
- Add in half of the powdered sugar and mix on the lowest speed until the sugar is combined with the butter. Add the remaining half of the powdered sugar and continue to mix on low speed until fully combined.
- Add in the salted caramel sauce, heavy cream, vanilla extract, and salt and mix on low speed until combined. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure the ingredients are well incorporated.
- Increase the mixer speed to medium and whip the buttercream for about 2 to 3 minutes until it is smooth and creamy.
- Optional: To smooth out the buttercream and remove any air bubbles, heat ½ cup of the frosting in the microwave for 15 seconds. Pour the melted frosting back into the mixing bowl and mix the frosting on low speed until the buttercream is super smooth and creamy.
Notes
- Room temperature: Store the frosting in an airtight container at room temperature for 1 day.
- Refrigerator: Store the frosting in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the refrigerator for 2 weeks. To use, bring the frosting to room temperature and re-whip with an electric mixer.
- Freezer: Store the frosting in an airtight container or wrapped in plastic wrap in the freezer for 3 months. To use, bring the frosting to room temperature and re-whip with an electric mixer.
Nutrition
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About Courtney
Baker | 80s Lover | Cookbook Author
Courtney is a self-taught home baker and cookbook author of “Girls Just Wanna Bake Cupcakes”. She loves to create new and unique recipes while simultaneously listening to 80s music.
Excellent recipe
So glad you enjoyed, Julie! Thanks for trying it out!
This frosting is the BEST!!! It’s out of the world good! I make all my cakes and frosting from Cake Me Home Tonight and I always receive rave reviews and remarks from others! Everything always turns out perfectly!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for trying so many of my recipes! I appreciate it!!
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!!