Easy Caramel Buttercream Frosting

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Top your favorite treats with this easy to make caramel buttercream frosting. Just imagine all of the cakes, cupcakes, and cookies it could go on!

Sweet caramel goodness in a super delicious buttercream makes for a perfect frosting. This recipe whips up in minutes and is perfect for piping and decorating.

It holds its shape and tastes delicious!  It is the perfect topping to any desserts that could benefit from a touch of caramel goodness.

Making a rich caramel frosting doesn’t have to be complicated. This recipe doesn’t require any candy thermometers or saucepans.

It is so quick and easy that you can start decorating your cake or cupcakes in just a matter of minutes. It is a fun twist on American buttercream, which is the least complicated version of frosting to make.

When I originally created this recipe, I used to top some carrot cake cupcakes. It was a yummy combination.

This time, I made some chocolate cupcakes and toasted some coconut to go on top. It was reminiscent of a German chocolate cake only quicker and with fluffier frosting!

It would also be amazing on vanilla cake or imagine it spread over a tasty apple cake. The possibilities really are endless, so bake up your favorite cake and make a batch today.

Original Post from 2019

This week is going to be a fun one. This frosting is just the start of something scrumptious.  The next few days are going to build to something fun for your Easter table.

It started with the want to make some carrot cake cupcakes. Don’t worry, I’m sharing the recipe tomorrow. (Be sure to check out how I made them into a carrot shaped cupcake cake as well!)

Those cupcakes would, of course, need some frosting. I usually top my carrot cakes with cream cheese frosting.

Sometimes, when I’m feeling spunky, I go with maple cream cheese frosting. It is super delicious and adds a little warmth to the mix.

This particular day and for this particular project, cream cheese frosting just wasn’t going to work. I needed something that didn’t need refrigeration and something that would hold its shape.

I had a bit of caramel sauce that was calling my name. I figured it would be an easy way to add flavor and warmth to the frosting.

Using a premade caramel sauce makes getting the flavor really easy. You can find nice rich, thick caramel sauce in the grocery store.

It is usually by the coffees or near the ice cream. However, feel free to use your own homemade caramel sauce if you have a favorite recipe.

The final result was lip smacking (and finger licking) good. The final color was just golden enough to give a hint of the caramel inside.

It piped beautifully on the cupcakes and was perfect on its own. They were also great with a smattering of chopped pecans and a drizzle of caramel.

I can’t wait to let this project unfold for you. I hope you’ll follow along.  In the meantime, what kind of treat would you put this frosting on first?

Tips for Getting the Best Buttercream

Because this recipe is a slight twist on a traditional American buttercream, it is almost foolproof.  There are a few tips to get it perfect every time.

The first is to start with room temperature butter. It should be soft, but not wimpy.

You want your mixer to be able to make it super smooth with no chunks of hard butter. Be sure to scrape the sides of the bowl a couple of times to make sure no chunks of butter are hiding out.

That and making sure the powdered sugar that isn’t too clumpy will ensure smooth buttercream.

Use your paddle attachment on your mixer to keep too much air from getting whipped into the frosting.

While you want it to be light and fluffy, using the whisk attachment can cause too many air bubbles which will affect the texture of your final product and will make it hard to get a smooth finish on your cake.

You can either use salted butter or add a pinch of salt or both. Taste it and adjust to your liking.

The salt adds balance with all the sweetness of caramel and powdered sugar. Plus, caramel and salt are a classic combination for a reason.

You can even add a little bit of extra salt if you want to make a salted caramel frosting. There is just something about rich caramel with a hit of salt.

Have fun! Frosting is supposed to be fun. So enjoy the process and have fun decorating!

Did you make this great recipe? Please leave a review in the recipe card below!

Thanks for sharing!