Description
Salted caramel frosting brings rich, silky smoothness to classic desserts with its perfect balance of sweet and salty notes. Bakers can elevate cakes, cupcakes, and pastries by spreading this luxurious topping that sparks culinary delight for passionate dessert enthusiasts.
Ingredients
- 1 cup (200 g / 7.05 oz) granulated sugar
- ½ cup (113 g / 4 oz) unsalted butter, cubed
- ½ cup (120 mL / 4 fl oz) heavy cream
- ¼ cup (60 mL / 2 fl oz) water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ½ tsp kosher salt
- 1 cup (227 g / 8 oz) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 3 cups (360 g / 12.7 oz) powdered sugar
- ½ cup (120 mL / 4 fl oz) salted caramel sauce
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp fine sea salt
Instructions
- Caramel Foundation: Melt butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat, creating a smooth, golden base for the caramel sauce.
- Sugar Integration: Blend brown sugar into melted butter, stirring until fully dissolved and developing a rich, amber-colored mixture.
- Cream Infusion: Stream heavy cream into the sugar blend, whisking vigorously to create a cohesive, glossy caramel sauce without lumps.
- Flavor Enhancement: Remove from heat and incorporate vanilla extract and sea salt, gently stirring to distribute flavors throughout the caramel.
- Cooling Phase: Allow caramel to cool completely to room temperature, ensuring a stable and smooth consistency for frosting.
- Sugar Transformation: Gradually add sifted powdered sugar to the cooled caramel, mixing on low speed to create a creamy, lump-free base.
- Texture Development: Whip the mixture on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes, transforming it into a light, fluffy, and voluminous frosting.
- Consistency Adjustment: Fine-tune the frosting’s texture by adding heavy cream to thin or powdered sugar to thicken as needed.
- Decorative Application: Spread or pipe the salted caramel frosting generously over desired baked goods, creating an indulgent and visually appealing finish.
Notes
Monitor Caramel Temperature: Watch carefully during cooking to prevent burning, which can quickly turn bitter and ruin the entire frosting’s flavor profile.
Prevent Sugar Crystallization: Stir constantly while heating sugar and butter to ensure smooth caramel without grainy texture, using clean utensils and avoiding sugar crystals on pan sides.
Adjust Frosting Consistency: Control spreadability by adding small amounts of cream or powdered sugar, testing thickness between additions to achieve perfect piping or spreading texture.
Enhance Flavor Variations: Experiment with different salt types like flaky Maldon or smoked sea salt to create unique flavor dimensions, complementing the rich caramel base with subtle nuanced undertones.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts, Snacks
- Method: Simmering
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 13
- Calories: 250
- Sugar: 22 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 16 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 6 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 28 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 40 mg