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4.24 from 21 votes
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Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting

Created by: Courtney
Prep Time 10 minutes
Total Time 10 minutes
Yield: 5 cups
This salted caramel buttercream frosting is rich, silky, and perfectly sweet with just the right touch of sea salt. It’s the ultimate way to elevate your cupcakes, cakes, or cookies—smooth, pipeable, and loaded with deep caramel flavor that adds a cozy, indulgent twist to any dessert.

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

Storing & Serving:
  • 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.
Baking Tools & Supplies (affiliate links): Stand mixer or electric hand mixer
Recipe Tips: Scroll up the blog post to see more expert buttercream tips and frequently asked questions to make the most out of this recipe.
Note: Metric conversions and nutritional information are calculated automatically. I cannot guarantee the accuracy of this information. For this recipe, the nutritional information is based off 1 cup of buttercream frosting, which is likely not an accurate serving size.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 1195kcal | Carbohydrates: 133g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 76g | Saturated Fat: 48g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 202mg | Sodium: 324mg | Potassium: 49mg | Sugar: 131g | Vitamin A: 2378IU | Vitamin C: 0.1mg | Calcium: 38mg | Iron: 0.1mg

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