One of my favorite things to do with my homemade salted caramel recipe is incorporate it into buttercream. The flavor ends up an awesome blend of sweet and salty, and the consistency is perfect for topping cakes and cupcakes or using as a cake filling. It can transform basic flavors like chocolate cake and vanilla cake into something above and beyond, and it also adds complexity to Fall-inspired flavors like apple spice cake and pumpkin cake. Whatever flavors you love pairing with caramel, this salted caramel buttercream is magic!
One Reader, Stellis, says: “Oh. My. Goodness!! Earlier I made the salted caramel (and left rave reviews) and I just finished making this to frost my dark chocolate cake and it is perfection! I could literally eat this buttercream by itself!” ★★★★★
Why You’ll Love This Salted Caramel Buttercream
- Ideal for Cake Decorating. This buttercream ends up the perfect consistency for filling and stacking cakes, frosting a smooth buttercream finish, piping onto cupcakes, adding as a layer under fondant, creating buttercream borders, and more!
- Delicious Salty-Sweet Flavor. This buttercream tastes just like salted caramel in frosting form!
- Perfect Excuse to Make Homemade Caramel. But it’s always a good time to make caramel from scratch, especially when you realize how easy my salted caramel recipe is.
- Easy to Make. Once you make the salted caramel and let it cool to room temperature, the salted caramel buttercream recipe is super straightforward. You’ll essentially whip the butter until creamy, combine it with powdered sugar, then add the salted caramel, vanilla, and salt. Easy peasy.
Salted Caramel Buttercream Ingredients
- Salt. A pinch of salt helps balance the sweetness and adds to the salty-sweet flavor even more.
- Unsalted Butter. This is the base of the buttercream and gives the frosting a rich buttery flavor and velvety smooth texture. If you only have salted butter on hand, you can use that instead and omit the salt at the end of the recipe.
- Powdered Sugar. This adds stability to the frosting while sweetening. I like to use less powdered sugar than the average American buttercream so that the frosting doesn’t end up cloyingly sweet, but if you’d like it even less sweet you can reduce the powdered sugar amount by up to ½ cup (60g). Just keep in mind that the consistency of the buttercream will be thinner.
- Salted Caramel. The buttercream gets its flavor from homemade salted caramel. It’s the perfect thickness for adding to the frosting without thinning out the consistency, plus the flavor is out of this world!
- Pure Vanilla Extract. A little vanilla enhances the flavor of this salted caramel buttercream beautifully.
How to Make Homemade Salted Caramel
This recipe starts with making a batch of my easy homemade salted caramel. It’s only four ingredients: granulated sugar, unsalted butter, heavy whipping cream, and salt. I love that this recipe comes together in minutes with simple techniques, and you don’t even need a candy thermometer to make it! I recommend reading through the entire recipe beforehand so you know what to expect, but here’s a simplified version of how to make it:
- Melt the sugar. Add the granulated sugar into a medium saucepan set over medium heat and stir frequently until it melts into an amber colored liquid.
- Add the butter. Whisk the butter into the melted sugar until the mixture is uniform, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add the heavy whipping cream. Whisk in the heavy whipping cream, then let the mixture boil for one minute without stirring it.
- Add the salt. Whisk the salt in and remove the salted caramel from the heat and let it cool to room temperature. It will thicken as it cools.
Making the salted caramel from scratch is the key to this beautiful caramel buttercream flavor, so if you have your own favorite salted caramel recipe, feel free to incorporate it into the buttercream recipe below. Just avoid pre-made salted caramel sauces that tend to be overly sweet, because they might send the sweetness level of this buttercream way over the top.
How to Make Salted Caramel Buttercream
Once the salted caramel has cooled to room temperature, the salted caramel buttercream takes just about 10 minutes to make. It’s as simple as this:
- Whip the Butter.
- Add the Powdered Sugar
- Add the (Cooled) Salted Caramel, Vanilla, and Salt.
- Mix Until Smooth.
The process is about as basic as it gets when it comes to an American buttercream recipe, but the end result is buttery salted caramel magic that you’ll want to eat by the spoonful!
Salted Caramel Buttercream FAQs
- Do I have to make the salted caramel from scratch? If you have a favorite store-bought caramel sauce, feel free to substitute it instead! I like to use homemade salted caramel because I can count on it being perfectly thick and not overly sweet, so the resulting buttercream is the perfect consistency and has the ideal caramel flavor.
Can I color this buttercream? Yes, but note that the buttercream starts as a beige color. This means that whatever color you add may be slightly muted because of the beige undertone. - How do I store salted caramel buttercream? You can store this buttercream in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Before you’re ready to use it, thaw it to room temperature and re-mix with your stand mixer on low speed until it’s smooth and creamy.
- What happens if I add less powdered sugar than the recipe calls for? The powdered sugar adds thickness and stability to this recipe, and I’ve already reduced it to account for the sweetness of the caramel. If you’d like it even less sweet you can reduce the powdered sugar amount by up to ½ cup (60g), but note that the buttercream will be thinner in consistency.
Cake Flavors to Pair with Salted Caramel Buttercream
Here are some of my favorite cake recipes to pair with this salted caramel buttercream. The recipe makes enough to frost about 15 cupcakes, fill and crumb coat a layer cake, or frost and decorate a layer cake. One batch will be enough for any of the cupcake recipes below, but if you’re planning on filling and frosting any of the layer cakes listed, be sure to double the recipe.
- One-Bowl Chocolate Cake or Chocolate Cupcakes
- Apple Spice Cake
- Salted Caramel Apple Cake
- Pumpkin Layer Cake or Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Spiced Vanilla Chai Cake
- Vanilla Cake
- Coffee Layer Cake
I hope you love this salted caramel buttercream recipe as much as I do! Let me know what you pair it with in the comments below (be sure to leave a star rating!) and feel free to tag @sugarandsparrowco on Instagram to show me if you post a photo. I love to see what you create with my recipes!
Salted Caramel Buttercream
Ingredients
Homemade Salted Caramel
- 1 Cup (200g) granulated sugar
- 6 Tbsp (85g) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into slices
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) heavy whipping cream, room temperature
- 1 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Salted Caramel Buttercream
- 1 Cup (226g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 Cups (360g) powdered sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 Cup (120ml) salted caramel, room temperature recipe above
- 1/4 tsp kosher salt
Instructions
Make the Salted Caramel
- Have everything pre-measured and ready to go (you’ll be constantly stirring). Place the sugar in a medium saucepan over medium heat and stir constantly with a wooden spoon, until it melts into an amber-colored liquid and no sugar clumps remain, 5-6 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low. Carefully add the butter (it will bubble up when you do) and use a whisk to combine it with the sugar mixture until the butter is fully melted and incorporated, 2-3 minutes.
- Add the heavy whipping cream in a steady stream while whisking. As soon as the cream is incorporated, let the caramel boil for a full minute before removing it from the heat and stirring in the salt.
- Pour the salted caramel into a glass jar or container and refrigerate until room temperature, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. You can make this element ahead and store it in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. It will thicken as it cools and solidify when cold. If needed, bring it back to room temperature by gently heating in the microwave in 10 second increments, stirring after each one, until room temperature and pourable.
Make the Salted Caramel Buttercream
- In a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whip the butter on high until it’s creamy and light in color, 5-6 minutes.
- Turn the mixer to low and add the powdered sugar a few cups at a time, scraping down the bowl and paddle after each interval.
- With the mixer still on low, mix in the vanilla extract, salted caramel, and salt. Continue mixing on low speed until fully combined and smooth, about 1-2 minutes.
Notes
- The salted caramel can be made ahead and stored ahead in an airtight glass jar or container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. When you’re ready to use it, reheat it in the microwave in 10 second intervals, stirring after each one, until room temperature and pourable.
- The salted caramel buttercream can be made ahead and stored in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 days, in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks, or in the freezer for up to 2 months. When you’re ready to use it, bring it back to room temperature and re-mix with your stand mixer on low speed to bring it back to smooth buttercream consistency.
- Frost 12-15 cupcakes with a piping bag
- Fill and crumb coat a three-layer 6-inch cake or two-layer 8-inch cake. To have enough for frosting and decorating as well, double the recipe.
I’m going to try this frosting with Carmel filled chocolate cupcakes!! They are cooling now and getting ready to start the frosting!
Hi Laura! That sounds AMAZING! So excited for you to try this recipe 🙂
Hi have you tried colouring this white? Does it turn out okay?
Hi Taylor! I’ve never tried coloring this white. You can definitely give it a try but my assumption is it would take a lot of white food color gel to color it.
Hi, if I use food colouring eg red or blue in this recipe will the colour be affected by the slightly brown colour of the icing?
Hi Patricia! Yes, it will. Basically whichever color you mix into this buttercream will be a little muted since you’re starting with beige buttercream as opposed to white. If you’re going for super dark colors it might be possible, but just keep in mind it might be more of a muted tone than a true tone.
Thanks whitney!!!
What kind of cake would it tast best with?
Hi Jena! This salted caramel buttercream pairs really well with chocolate cake or vanilla cake.
Hi Whitney! Would this be enough to fill 2 10 inch Chocolate Cakes?
It will be a 3 layer cake.. and may coat the outside with the luscious looking buttercream, then covering in fondant for a birch tree look. Thank you in advance and sharing your recipe!
Hi Laura! This recipe will be enough to fill a 3 layer 10-inch cake. That sounds like it’s going to be lovely and delicious!
So where is the recipe for the salted caramel! Pintrest just takes you around in circles! Not a friendly site
Don’t show a recipe and then only give us half of it!!!
Hi Guida! Sorry Pinterest took you around in circles. I’m glad you ended up here! The recipe for the salted caramel is linked throughout this post but here’s the direct link: https://sugarandsparrow.com/salted-caramel-recipe/
Hi Whitney,
Why in this recipe you used more powdered sugar than the white chocolate butter cream recipe?
Can’t wait to try both
Hi Giulia, there isn’t really a scientific reason why there’s more powdered sugar in this buttercream recipe. It’s just the way I’ve always made it. If you’re concerned about the amount of sugar, you can always decrease it by 1/2 cup or more, just eyeball the consistency in the process to make sure it’s thick enough to spread/pipe.
I can’t wait to try this recipe in full next week for my husbands birthday cake… we have the same birthday just 10 years apart, and this is what he requested to be on and in his cake.. Cake layers to be my Italian cream white cake recipe. So I am 1000% sure your SCBC is going to be heavenly on it!
That sounds SO delicious, Caitlin! Can’t wait for you to try this!!
Where can we find your Italian cream white cake?
Yum!
Sounds wonderful! I’m planning on putting this on top of some decadent chocolate cupcakes for a friend’s birthday at work. Does this recipe make enough to pipe 24 cupcakes?
Hi Kate! This buttercream is SO tasty on chocolate cupcakes. To pipe 24 of them, I would 1.5 the recipe.
Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly! I am so excited for these!
Oh my GOODNESS.
Just made this to use for a birthday cake. So impressed. Had to put it away to stop myself from eating it by the spoonful.
Yay, Tabitha! So happy to hear you love this recipe as much as I do. It is SO hard to stop eating it by the spoonful!!
Can I use a hand mixer? My stand mixer is broken!
Hi Bianca! A hand mixer will work just fine for this recipe 🙂
Hi
Where do you buy salted caramel ?
Hi Anu! I have never tried store bought salted caramel before, but I know that it can be found at some grocery stores in the aisle with the ice cream toppings. I always make it myself because it’s easy and tastes amazing. Here’s the recipe I use: https://sugarandsparrow.com/salted-caramel-recipe/
Hi,
can this also be used as a filling for the macarons?
Hi Joyce! This recipe would be perfect (and so tasty) as macaron filling!
Hi there, you mention topping cupcakes and filling cakes… what about covering a cake completely prior to putting fondant on it? Do you think it would tolerate the weight of fondant? And get a dry enough crust to put fondant on? Thankyou for any advice!
Hi Christine! This salted caramel buttercream will totally work for covering a cake before putting fondant on. It’s a crusting buttercream and I would recommend chilling it slightly prior to covering in fondant – that way you’ll get a firm surface and plenty of support for the fondant!
Thankyou so much! Can’t wait to try this on the weekend!
Thanks you very much
You’re so welcome, Olena!
Would this recipe be enough to fill a two layer cake and coat the outside completely?
Hi Finn! It depends on what diameter your layers are. It should be enough to fill and frost up to a two-layer 9-inch cake.