Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Brown butter cream cheese frosting is the perfect sweet, tangy, and nutty addition to your next cake or cupcake recipe. It's perfect for fall and surprisingly easy to make from scratch!

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 5

Cooling Time 15

Total Time 30

Servings or more cupcakes

Author Heather

Ingredients

½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter
8 ounces (227 g) block-style cream cheese room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon salt
3 ½ cups (400 g) confectioner's sugar

Instructions

In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt butter and stir frequently. Butter will begin to foam and boil. After about 4 to 5 minutes you will see brown flecks appear in the bottom of the pan. Continue to stir until butter is golden and flecks are a medium brown color. Watch closely, butter will brown quickly. The entire process takes about 5 to 7 minutes.
Remove butter from heat and pour butter into a bowl. Refrigerate for about 15-25 minutes, or until butter is just solidified. You're looking for a room temperature or slightly cooler, just solid butter.
In a large bowl, add room temperature cream cheese and solidified brown butter. Using a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat until creamy and smooth. Add vanilla, salt, and confectioner's sugar and slowly mix until ingredients are fully combined. Then, whip at high speed for about 2-3 minutes, or until light and fluffy.
Pipe onto cooled cupcakes or spread onto cooled cake and serve immediately.

Notes

Cream cheese: Original, full-fat block-style cream cheese cannot be substituted with low-fat cream cheese, whipped cream cheese, or spreadable cream cheese in a tub. Any of these substitutions will cause your frosting to be runny.
Refrigerating: Cream cheese frosting needs to be refrigerated if it sits out for longer than 2 hours. Store frosted baked goods in the refrigerator in a tightly sealed container. Remove and bring to room temperature 1 hour before serving.
Leftovers: Leftover frosting will keep for 1 week in a sealed container in the refrigerator or up to 3 months in the freezer. Bring to room temperature before spreading onto baked goods.
Frosting quantity: Recipe makes enough for 18 cupcakes with piped frosting, 24 cupcakes spread with a knife, a 9x13 sheet cake, a 13x18 sheet cake, or an 8-inch or 9-inch two layer cake with thin frosting on the tops, sides, and middle.

Nutrition