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–+ servings

Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

5 from 1 vote
Elien Lewis
This brown butter cream cheese frosting is seriously delicious. It's simple to make too, and that little extra step of browning butter leads to amazing results.  Makes enough to frost 12-18 cupcakes, a 2-layer 8-inch cake or a 9x13 inch sheet cake.
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brown butter cream cheese frosting.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cooling time 3 hours
Total Time 3 hours 10 minutes
Servings 3 cups

Ingredients
 
 

  • 150 g butter salted or unsalted
  • 225 g cream cheese full-fat, room temperature
  • 360 g powdered sugar
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1-2 tablespoon cream or milk as needed

Instructions
 

  • In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium heat. Stir regularly with a wooden spoon or whisk for 3-4 minutes and let the milk solids in the butter caramelize. Look for little brown bits forming at the bottom of the pan.
  • Once deep amber brown, remove them from heat and pour butter, including the browned bits, into a large heat-proof bowl or a stand mixer to cool and solidify. You can place it in the refrigerator to speed up the solidifying process but ensure it's at room temperature when ready to use it.
  • With an electric or stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the solidified, room-temperature butter until it's light and creamy. 
  • Add in room temperature cream cheese and beat again.
  • Next, add the powdered sugar, vanilla, and salt and mix it in on low speed. Once combined, beat on medium-high speed for 1-2 minutes until fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula as needed.
  • If the frosting is too thick, add a bit of heavy cream or milk to reach the perfect consistency. If it is too thin, add a little more powdered sugar.

Notes

Store any remaining frosting in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. If frozen, let it thaw in the fridge and then give it a quick whisk to restore its creamy texture.
Both metric and US customary measurements are included. Use the toggle on the recipe card to switch between the two. 

Nutrition

Serving: 1cupCalories: 273kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 1gFat: 17gSaturated Fat: 10gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gCholesterol: 46mgSodium: 149mgSugar: 30g
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