Description
This delightful frosting combines the rich, nutty flavor of browned butter with smooth cream cheese for a perfect cake or cupcake topping.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (226 g) unsalted butter
- 8 oz (226 g) full-fat brick-style cream cheese, softened
- 3 to 3 ½ cups (360–420 g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt, or to taste
Instructions
- STEP 1: BROWN THE BUTTER: Place the unsalted butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Allow the butter to melt completely, then continue cooking while stirring frequently. The butter will foam and begin to turn golden. Watch closely as brown specks form at the bottom of the pan and the aroma becomes nutty and toasted. Once the butter reaches a deep golden brown color, immediately remove the pan from the heat to prevent burning.
- STEP 2: COOL THE BUTTER: Pour the browned butter, including all the browned milk solids, into a heatproof bowl. Allow it to cool at room temperature until it becomes soft and semi-solid. The texture should resemble softened butter, not melted liquid. Cooling may take 1–2 hours. To speed up the process, refrigerate the butter and stir every 10–15 minutes to ensure even cooling and to prevent it from hardening completely.
- STEP 3: BEAT THE CREAM CHEESE: In a large mixing bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer or stand mixer until completely smooth and creamy. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to remove any lumps.
- STEP 4: ADD THE BROWN BUTTER: Add the cooled, softened brown butter to the whipped cream cheese. Beat on medium speed until the mixture is fully combined, smooth, and fluffy.
- STEP 5: ADD THE POWDERED SUGAR: Add the sifted powdered sugar one cup at a time, mixing on low speed at first to prevent splattering. Increase the speed after each addition and beat until smooth and fully incorporated.
- STEP 6: ADD VANILLA AND SALT: Mix in the vanilla extract and salt. Beat until the frosting becomes light, creamy, and spreadable. Taste and adjust sweetness or thickness by adding more powdered sugar if needed.
Notes
- Cooling the butter takes 1–2 hours at room temperature, but refrigerating can speed it up.
- This frosting can be adjusted based on desired sweetness by varying the amount of powdered sugar.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 10 minutes
- Category: Desserts
- Method: Mixing
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 tablespoon
- Calories: 120
- Sugar: 15 g
- Sodium: 150 mg
- Fat: 7 g
- Saturated Fat: 4 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 15 g
- Fiber: 0 g
- Protein: 1 g
- Cholesterol: 30 mg