Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting

Seriously, nothing beats light and fluffy salted caramel buttercream frosting!! Incredibly easy to make with just 3 ingredients, it’s going to be your favorite buttercream frosting of all times.

Oh my word, are we in for a treat here?!

Salted caramel buttercream frosting made with homemade caramel sauce!!! Enough said.

This’s the BEST buttercream frosting ever! And I’m not even a buttercream fan. That says a lot, doesn’t it?

Plus, it’s ridiculously easy to make this icing!! We’re basically adding salted caramel sauce into classic American buttercream.

HOW TO MAKE SALTED CARAMEL BUTTERCREAM:

1. Whip butter and salted caramel until nice and fluffy. The mixture should turn pale and fluffy.
2. Add powdered sugar and beat until smooth.

TIPS FOR MAKING BUTTERCREAM ICING FLUFFY:

• Make sure to use room temperature butter. Simply take it out of the fridge about 1 hour prior to making the frosting.
• Whip butter and caramel sauce until it turns pale and fluffy, that way your buttercream will ultra-fluffy and light.

DO YOU HAVE TO USE UNSALTED BUTTER FOR BUTTERCREAM?

• I highly recommend unsalted butter for making buttercream frosting, because every brand has different amount of salt. That being said, it’s ok to use salted butter.

DO YOU HAVE TO USE HOMEMADE CARAMEL SAUCE?

• No, not necessarily. You can use store-bought caramel sauce as well. Just make sure it’s not a liquid one.

Homemade caramel sauce is thick and spreadable, when cooled. And that’s what we want.

Also, you can use dulce de leche in place of caramel! It’s equally delicious!!!

TIPS FOR PIPING BUTTERCREAM ICING

This caramel buttercream icing is perfect for piping to decorate elaborate cakes and cupcakes! It’s creamy, smooth and super easy to work with.

• Simply transfer the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with your favorite decorative tip and pipe. 

TIP: Twist the end of the piping bag fitted with a tip and place it in a tall glass. Fold down the top of the bag over the side of the glass to make a cuff and fill the bag with frosting. See this in action in this video at 4:46.

HOW TO STORE BUTTERCREAM FROSTING

If you’re planning to use the buttercream within 24 hours, store it on the counter, covered.

NOTE: Cakes and cupcakes frosted with buttercream doesn’t need to be refrigerated, if consumed within 48 hours. 

Make-Ahead Tip:

• Store the frosting in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in freeze for up to 3 months.

Thaw the frozen frosting in the fridge overnight. And then bring the frosting to room temperature and whip it again in the mixer until fluffy.

CAN BUTTERCREAM FROSTING BE LEFT OUT?

• Yes, buttercream frosting can be left out on the counter for up to 48 hours, covered. It’s highly advised to keep it in a cooler area to avoid melting.

This salted caramel buttercream frosting is perfect for these mini layer cakes (aren’t they just adorable?) and epic Snickers Cake!

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Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting

Light and fluffy salted caramel buttercream frosting that is incredibly easy to make with just 3 ingredients! It’s my favorite American buttercream recipe!

Yield: 3 cups

Total Time:10 minutes

Ingredients:

• 2 sticks (226gr) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 cup (200gr) salted caramel sauce, or dulce de leche (Note 1)
• 2 cups (250gr) powdered sugar

Directions:

1. In a mixing bowl with a paddle attachment, combine butter and salted caramel sauce and beat on medium high heat for about 2 minutes, or until pale and fluffy. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl with a silicone spatula half way through.
2. Add powdered sugar and continue beating until the frosting is nice and smooth and fluffy, about 2 more minutes.

Note 1: Caramel sauce should be thick and spreadable, and not liquid one. If using dulce de leche, add ¼ teaspoon coarse kosher salt.

Make-Ahead Tip: Store the frosting in an airtight container in refrigerator for up to 1 week, or in freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw the frozen frosting in the fridge overnight. Bring the frosting to room temperature and whip it again in the mixer until fluffy.

Yield: This recipe makes enough frosting for 24 cupcakes (moderately frosted), two-layer 9-inch cake, or four-layer 7-inch cake.

All images and text ©Shinee D. for Sweet & Savory

All photographs and content on Sweet & Savory by Shinee is copyright protected, unless otherwise noted. Please do not use any of my photos without my authorization. If you would like to share my recipe, you may re-write the recipe in your own words, or simply link back to this post for the full directions. Thank you for your cooperation!