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Frosting & Fettuccine

Home » Recipe Search » Frosting

Jan 31, 2022(last updated September 29, 2022)

The Fluffiest Caramel Buttercream Frosting

5 from 2 votes
BySam Adler
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This post might have affiliate links, please check out my full disclosure policy.

This caramel buttercream frosting is super fluffy and ready to pipe in only 5 minutes! Made with only a few simple pantry ingredients, this icing is perfectly sweet to top your favorite cakes and cupcakes.

Caramel buttercream swirled in a wooden bowl with a spoon sticking out

Where are all my caramel friends? Get ready for this buttercream frosting recipe because it is just SO fluffy and delicious.

I love to pipe this buttercream on top of these super easy to make caramel cupcakes, and these chocolate cupcakes and will sometimes swap out my cream cheese buttercream recipe or coffee buttercream frosting for this luscious topping instead!

Ingredients needed

Since this is an American buttercream frosting you only need a few pantry staples you probably already have in your house.

This caramel icing is made only of unsalted butter, confectioners sugar, caramel sauce, and small amounts of milk and salt.

Caramel buttercream frosting ingredients
  • Unsalted Butter– this will need to be at room temperature. If you forget to soften your butter I have a whole post on how to soften butter quickly.
  • Powdered Sugar– AKA confectioners sugar, or 10x as we called it when I was training at Le Cordon Bleu
  • Caramel sauce– Homemade caramel sauce, or store bought is fine!
  • Milk– any kind
  • Kosher salt– you can add as much or as little as you want

How to make caramel buttercream

  1. First decide if you will be using homemade caramel sauce or store bought, either is fine!
  2. With a hand or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter on low speed for 1-2 mins. Stop the the mixer then add in the 10x ( were just gonna call it this from now on and you can feel fancy that you call it this!) Mix on low working up to medium speed and mix for 2 minutes.
  3. Add in the caramel sauce with the mixer on low speed.
  4. Add in the milk and salt. Mix on medium for 2 minutes and you’re done!

Store bought vs homemade caramel

It really doesn’t matter. If you have store bought caramel in the fridge go for it. If you want to make your own then go for that too! You can even melt down some of those caramel candies and use those as well. So many options!

Yield of recipe

This caramel frosting recipe makes enough to frost 12 cupcakes, 1 9×13 inch sheet cake, or fill and frost a 2 layer 8″ cake

A vanilla cupcake with caramel buttercream sittong ona white plate with its wrapper peeled off

Storage & Freezing

I like to store my buttercream in plastic wrap and either keep it on the counter if I am using it the next day or in the freezer if I am making it in advance. It does not have to be refrigerated if you make it up to 3 days in advance.

Otherwise you can freeze the icing in plastic wrap for up to 3 months. Defrost in the fridge and give it another whirl in the stand mixer before you use it.

Tips for recipe success

Honestly this type of buttercream is really hard to mess up. If it looks too runny, you just add a bit more 10x to thicken it up. If it looks too dry, add a little bit more milk (1 tsp) at a time to loosen it.

Usually when I am not baking for the blog, I don’t even measure my ingredients because all I really care about is the texture of it, and you can tweak it just by looking and tasting it!

Last thing, make sure to keep your butter at room temperature for it to cream well!

Ways to use this recipe

  • On chocolate cake
  • In between these salted caramel chocolate chip cookies (ermagersh can you imagine)
  • Pipe it on top of this salted caramel cheesecake
  • On top of these mini cheesecake bites!

Heads up! This post contains affiliate links which means if you buy something off one of those links (treat yo’self!) I make a small commission at no extra cost to you. Thanks for supporting my blog!

Caramel buttercream swirled in a wooden bowl with a spoon sticking out

The Fluffiest Caramel Buttercream Frosting

This caramel buttercream frosting is made with confectioner sugar, butter, caramel sauce, milk and salt. Its super fluffy and I perfect on top of cakes and cupcakes.
5 from 2 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Diet: Kosher
Keyword: caramel buttercream, caramel frosting, caramel icing, homemade caramel frosting
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 5 minutes
Servings: 12 cupcakes
Calories: 269kcal
Author: Sam Adler

Equipment

  • 1 Stand mixer

Ingredients

  • 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
  • 3 cups confectioners sugar
  • 1/3 cup caramel sauce store bought, or homemade
  • 1 tbsp milk or cream
  • 1/4 tsp kosher salt or 1/2 tsp if you like it salty

Instructions

  • In the bowl of a hand or stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream the butter for 1 minute. Stop the mixer and add in the confectioners sugar. Start with the speed on low and work up to medium speed. Beat for 2 minutes.
  • Scrape down the mixer. With the mixer running on low, add the caramel sauce in a steady stream. Add the milk and salt and beat for 3 minutes.

Notes

You can use store bought or homemade caramel sauce.

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
The Fluffiest Caramel Buttercream Frosting
Amount Per Serving (1 portion)
Calories 269 Calories from Fat 135
% Daily Value*
Fat 15g23%
Saturated Fat 10g63%
Trans Fat 1g
Polyunsaturated Fat 1g
Monounsaturated Fat 4g
Cholesterol 41mg14%
Sodium 74mg3%
Potassium 12mg0%
Carbohydrates 34g11%
Fiber 1g4%
Sugar 29g32%
Protein 1g2%
Vitamin A 480IU10%
Vitamin C 1mg1%
Calcium 10mg1%
Iron 1mg6%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

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Filed Under: Frosting Tagged With: Caramel

About Sam Adler

Sam Adler is a Le Cordon Bleu professionally trained pastry chef, Saveur Blog Award winner, food photographer, and food blogger over on FrostingandFettuccine.com. She has been featured in numerous online and in-print publications including Taste of Home Magazine, Saveur Magazine, The Feed Feed, and Food Blogger Pro. Sam lives in Hollywood florida with her husband, two young kids, and french bulldog. When she’s not baking and dancing in her kitchen you can find her at her favorite yoga spot.

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Hi! Im Sam Adler,

I'm a professionally trained pastry chef and food photographer.
This is a place where you will find easy yet impressive looking desserts. I also share a ton of food photography resources too! What can I say, I love pretty & delicious baked goods! Learn more about me!

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Saveur Blog award winner for best food Instagram

samadlerphotography

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#ad This year for Chanukah we’re switching it up #ad This year for Chanukah we’re switching it up from classic sufganiyot to make these fun donut fries! Puffy, golden, and delicious, dip your “fries” into melted chocolate or raspberry jelly and celebrate all week long! @aldiusa makes it super easy with their amazing selection of high quality products at seriously unimaginable prices. Run to your nearest @aldiusa to find all the ingredients you need to make these and have a Happy Chanukah!
Find the recipe below!

#ALDILove
Prep time: 1 hr 45 mins
Cook time: 1 min
Yield: 40 donut fries
2 pack Baker’s Corner Active Dry Yeast
1 1/2 cup warm water
1/3 cup Sugar
2 Simply Nature Grade A Organic Cage Free Brown Eggs
2 tbsp Stonemill Pure Vanilla Extract
1/3 cup Carlini Pure Vegetable Oil
5-6 cups Baker’s Corner All Purpose Flour
1 tsp Kosher salt
½ cup Baker’s Corner Powdered Sugar
For Dipping:
1 cup Baker’s Corner Dark or Milk Chocolate Morsels
Simply Nature Organic Raspberry Preserves
Method:
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sugar, eggs, vanilla, and oil to the bowl and mix until well combined.
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fitted with the dough attachment for 5 minutes until a soft, non-sticky dough forms. If the
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mixing.
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thickness. 
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•Let the fries rest for another 15 mins. 
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fries 30 seconds per side, then drain on a paper towel.
•Dust the donut fries with powdered sugar and set aside.
•Microwave 1 cup of dark or milk chocolate for 30 seconds at a time until melted. Scoop
jelly into another bowl. Dip the fries in the chocolate or jelly!
Happy birthday @taylorswift 👸🏼 hope it feels Happy birthday @taylorswift 👸🏼 hope it feels like a perfect night and you’re not weepin in a party bathroom. IYKYK
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