The Best Caramel Buttercream Frosting for Cake
Who is excited about the best caramel buttercream frosting for cake? Caramel has such a rich and unique flavor, so of course, I wanted to try and incorporate it into my cakes in any way I could. I’ve had a lot of fun making cakes that would complement my caramel buttercream, and I even share a few of them here in this post! I hope you enjoy this caramel buttercream frosting as much as I do!
Several of my cakes using this caramel buttercream are centered around fall-flavored cakes or cakes for the holidays, but you can easily alter them so you can enjoy them all year round! Or you can save them for now and look forward to making them this coming fall. That way you’ll always have something to look forward to! Either way, I can’t wait for you to try this caramel buttercream frosting!
The Best Caramel Buttercream Frosting Recipe
My secret to making the best caramel buttercream frosting for cake is making my own caramel! And don’t worry, it is pretty simple to make. As long as you keep an eye on it while it’s boiling you will be good to go! Here are the steps and ingredients for making the buttercream and the homemade caramel.
To make the caramel buttercream frosting, you’ll need:
- 2 cups (452 g) unsalted butter, slightly cold
- 6 cups (750 g) powdered sugar, measured then sifted
- ½ cup caramel
First, beat your butter for 3-5 minutes on medium-high speed in your electric mixer. Next, turn the speed down to medium and gradually add the caramel. Scrape down the sides of your bowl and mix again until the caramel is incorporated.
Once the caramel is nicely mixed in, gradually add the powdered sugar while your mixer is on low speed. Then increase the speed to medium-high and beat for another 5 minutes until the buttercream is light and fluffy.
I always recommend mixing the buttercream frosting by hand with a wooden spoon or large spatula at the very end to push out the air and create a silky-smooth frosting.
And for the homemade caramel, you’ll need:
- 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (120 g) water
- 4 teaspoons (75 g) light corn syrup
- ½ cup (115.5 g) heavy cream
- 2 teaspoons (8.4 g) vanilla
- 2 teaspoons (12 g) salt
To make the caramel, mix your sugar, water, and corn syrup in a small saucepan. Bring the water and sugar mixture to a boil over medium heat and DO NOT STIR. (Stirring encourages crystallization.) Let the mixture boil until it caramelizes into a golden brown color. It happens quickly so keep an eye on it!
Next, remove the caramelized sugar syrup from the heat and slowly mix in the cream. Pour in just a little bit at a time, especially at the beginning. Once it is all poured in, mix to combine. Mix in your salt and vanilla and combine it all together.
Let it cool completely before using it in your buttercream or adding it between your cake layers.
Top 3 Caramel Buttercream Frosted Cakes
Here are some of my absolute favorite cakes where I use my caramel buttercream frosting. You’ll find that it’s easy to mix in the caramel with complementing flavors to make a combination flavor for your buttercream! I’ve mixed it with chocolate and oreo just to name a couple. But caramel goes with so many things, so you can have a lot of fun with this buttercream flavor!
Caramel Buttercream Frosted Cake #1: Salted Caramel Gingerbread Cake with Caramel Drip
This Salted Caramel Gingerbread Cake is one of my favorites for the holiday season! I am in love with the texture and flavor of this cake. It is rich in molasses and ginger but is still moist and tender. I will say this cake is slightly dense compared to a light and fluffy white cake, so just be prepared for that! I think this cake could easily become a family favorite for Christmas time!
Caramel Buttercream Frosted Cake #2: Mocha Caramel Oreo Cake
My Mocha Caramel Oreo Cake is utterly to die for! My friends who have tried this cake (even the ones who don’t like the taste of coffee) were going nuts over it! Of course, we are adding tons of chocolate and sugar to this cake to cover up the bitter taste of coffee, so I think you’ll end up loving this one! The buttercream base is my caramel buttercream with crushed-up mocha caramel Oreos throughout it. So good!
Caramel Buttercream Frosted Cake #3: Twix Cake
This Twix Cake recipe is actually from my new cookbook, but I added it to my blog because everyone needs to make this cake! This cake is for those who are in love with the chocolate caramel combo. Even my caramel buttercream has some melted chocolate chips mixed in there with it. There’s quite a bit going on with this cake, so I suggest spacing it out over a few days to make the cake and all the fillings that go with it.
The Best Caramel Buttercream Frosting for Cake
I think one of the reasons why this really is the best caramel buttercream frosting for cake is because of how many different ways and flavors you can enjoy it with. I can’t wait to see how you decide to use this caramel buttercream frosting recipe! Let me know over on Instagram @cakebycourtney. And you can follow me there for the best tips and tricks on all things cake!
is this recipe stiff enough to work for frosting cupcakes? And if so, about how much buttercream does this recipe make? Wondering how much I need to cut it down for a dozen cupcakes for example. Thank you!
It makes about 6 cups of buttercream, and yes, I’ve used it to pipe swirls on cupcakes and it works well.
I made your caramel and my goodness, it’s divine! I haven’t made the caramel buttercream yet, but I was wondering your recommendation how how best to store the left over caramel?
Just in a jar in your fridge.