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Smooth Soft Caramel Buttercream

July 26, 2018 by layercakeparade

This Smooth Soft Caramel Buttercream is a game changer! This frosting has a satin none gritty texture and is still spreadable with a secret ingredient and a depth of flavor provided by browned butter!

Smooth Soft Caramel Buttercream


To me, caramel frosting is a perfect balance of salty and sweet. Make a buttercream, add caramel sauce and it should come out great, right?

Not so. Most caramel frostings have two major problems: too sweet or it hardens to a candy like texture.

Smooth Soft Caramel Buttercream

Since caramel is, essentially, a sugar sauce, adding it to powdered sugar will make any frosting sweeter, hence the higher fat content. In order to resolve and update caramel frosting I needed to counter the sweetness to an already sweet buttercream.

Here, in the Smooth Soft Caramel Buttercream I browned butter and then made the caramel in the same pot. It almost followed the steps of building a stew or soup, where flavors develop in several steps. Here the browned butter bits gets integrated into the caramel. These browned bits provide a nuanced and complexity that, alongside salt, downplays the sugar.

Smooth Soft Caramel Buttercream

Here I used dark brown sugar that, like the brown butter, contrasts the sweetness.

To prevent the caramel sauce from solidifying, adding a teaspoon of neutral plant oil not only provides a smoothness but also prevents the end resulting frosting from becoming a poured icing that hardens like candy. Also don’t try to make the caramel sauce ahead of time or it will crystallize and create a grainy texture in the frosting.

Finishing the Smooth Soft Caramel Frosting with a bit of regular softened butter gives the frosting smoothness and structure.

Smooth Soft Caramel Buttercream

So use this Smooth Soft Caramel Buttercream for cakes, cupcakes, bars, and brownies.

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Smooth Soft Caramel Buttercream
Recipe Type: Dessert
Ingredients
  • For the Browned Butter:
  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces, 1 stick) unsalted butter
  • For the Caramel Sauce:
  • 1/2 cup (4 ounces, 1 stick) unsalted butter
  • 1 cup firmly packed dark brown sugar
  • 4 tablespoons heavy cream, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon fine salt
  • 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  • For the Caramel Buttercream:
  • 3 to 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar
  • 3 tablespoons heavy cream
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Instructions
To make the Browned Butter:
  1. In a small heavy-bottomed saucepan, melt butter on low heat. Use a heat proof spatula to scrape the sides and bottom down. Let it slowly brown until solids dissipates and a nutty warm aroma occurs, about 4 to 6 minutes. Pour into a heat-proof bowl and set in the refrigerator while you make the caramel.
To make the Caramel Sauce:
  1. In the same small heavy-bottomed sauce pan set over medium heat, melt butter, scraping up the browned bits from the previous butter. Add sugar, 2 tablespoons heavy cream, and salt, whisk until sugar dissolves. Let mixture bubble for 2 minutes, whisking every 30 seconds. Pour into a heat-proof bowl, stir in oil and vanilla. Let rest for 30 minutes.
To make the Caramel Buttercream:
  1. Beat brown butter and powdered sugar on medium speed until smooth and lump free, about 3 minutes, scraping bowl and paddle as needed. Add heavy cream, salt, and vanilla. Whisk caramel sauce before adding it gradually to the frosting, beat to just combine. If it looks a little loose you can add the remaining 1/2 of powdered sugar, but it will firm up in the refrigerator.
3.5.3251

 

 

 

Filed Under: Frostings & Fillings Tagged With: caramel

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Chocolate Toffee Caramel Cake »

Welcome to Layer Cake Parade!

I’m Victoria, a dessert story teller. Here you’ll find curation of color inspired desserts that come from a well tested baker’s insight

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