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.
Hi,
I want to try a Biscoff version, could I just use the same amount of Biscoff cookie butter as there is salted caramel in this recipe? Or should I adjust the powdered sugar when using Biscoff?
Thanks!
Hi Maja! That sounds heavenly. I’ve never worked with cookie butter before, so I can’t say for sure how much to add or how it will taste but feel free to experiment with this recipe!
Would this be good on a spice cake you think?! If so do you have a homemade spice cake recipe?!?!
Hi Rachel! This recipe would taste amazing on a spice cake. I have a few different spice cake recipes! Type “spice cake” into the search bar at the top of my blog to see them.
how many cupcakes can i frost using one batch of this frosting?
Hi Farah, one batch of this buttercream should frost about 15-20 large cupcakes depending on how much frosting you add to each one.
hello!! so do I use melted Carmel? and if so do I use the hard Carmel and melt it in the microwave or the stove top, make my own, or use the store bought stuff that people use on other desserts. (that’s in the squeeze bottles)
Hi Ruby! I recommend making your own using this recipe for best results: https://sugarandsparrow.com/salted-caramel-recipe/
Hi recipe doesn’t say how much it makes or how big of a cake it will frost. i have a 3 layer 6 in cake. is this recipe enough or should i double?
Hi Tori! For a 3 layer 6-inch cake, I would 1.5x the recipe to fill and frost, or double the recipe if you want to do additional buttercream decorations/piping.
This recipe is spectacular! I just made it for a chocolate cake and it if the fluffiest buttercream I’ve ever had. Thanks for posting this!
Yay, Ellie!! So happy to hear that and I bet it tasted amazing with chocolate cake!
Just made this frosting for my cut out sugar cookies and it’s AMAZING! I’ve been using a crusting buttercream recipe and just wondering if this frosting will give a little crust as well to pipe out flowers, etc. Also, will the cookies need to be refrigerated with this icing? Thanks!
Yay, Kathryn! So happy to hear you’re loving this recipe! It will certainly crust and be great for piping flowers, etc. You won’t need to refrigerate the cookies with this icing, as the small amount of dairy in there is well preserved by all the sugar content. Enjoy!
Hi. Have just made this caramel buttercream to fill and ice a cake (made the caramel first from your recipe – delicious!) I have never made buttercream before (usually use chocolate ganache) and although it tastes good the powdered sugar hasn’t dissolved, so it’s a bit chalky. Is that normal? I am in Australia and used what we call pure icing sugar, which is just powdered sugar. I sieved it first too. It’s also unbelievably sweet, but maybe that’s because you like things sweeter than we’re used to over there? Will the sugar dissolve a bit more by the time I serve it in about 24 hrs? Thanks. Love your site BTW. Very helpful and your cakes look spectacular!
Hi Julia! If the texture is grainy I would add a little more room temperature milk to dissolve the sugar and also add a little more salt to cut the sweetness. Hope that helps!
Thanks so much for your reply. I made another batch, sieved the sugar again in a finer sieve, and put a little milk in but didn’t want to thin it too much. Still grainy, but I’m sure no-one will notice but me! We have here a product called icing mixture, which is powdered sugar and corn starch. Should I try this next time? Might be smoother. Not sure how the cornstarch would affect the buttercream though. Thoughts?
Interesting! I’ve never heard of adding cornstarch to buttercream, but let me know if you end up trying that!
I realize I’m commenting on an old comment but wanted to say that in Canada, what we have available as “icing sugar” is the same as your “icing mix” as it contains cornstarch. I have never actually seen powdered sugar here, only icing sugar. I often find frosting way too sweet and have had success adding additional cornstarch instead of more icing sugar. Hope that helps others.
Love the flavour of this I’ve just made it! However no matter what buttercream I try and make it always starts to split and go runny! Any tips would be appreciated – it’s not just this one recipe that it does it, it’s on everyone I’ve tried I’ve even used a glass bowl this time and still no luck I just can’t get it right
Hi Jess! So happy you love the flavor of this buttercream and would love to help you get to the bottom of why your buttercreams are splitting. The main reason why buttercream splits is temperature – mainly if it’s too warm in your kitchen environment (butter starts to melt above 75 degrees) or if you start the recipe with butter that is too soft/milk that’s too cold. I like to leave my butter on the counter to soften it for an hour or so (instead of microwaving or trying to quickly soften it) because it ends up being the perfect temp to begin with. And then if your milk is too cold at the end that can cause the buttercream to split as well. It’s super important that all of your ingredients are room temp (and your “room temp” is less than 73 degrees). Hoping either of those tips solves the splitting for next time!
Hi! Whitney, do you think that I could make the buttercream a day before icing the cake with it? I need a reply ASAP
Hi Trina! You can definitely make this buttercream a day ahead. As long as your environment is below 70 degrees, you can store the buttercream at room temp in an airtight container overnight. If you need to, you can also refrigerate it in an airtight container overnight – just be sure to leave it out for a few hours to bring it back to room temperature before using it on your cake. Whether you store it in the fridge or at room temp, be sure to put it back in your stand mixer and stir it on low speed for about 20 seconds to bring it back to silky smooth frosting consistency.
This frosting and the salted caramel were both amazing! My daughter requested a vanilla cake with caramel frosting for her birthday cake, and I’m so glad I found this! It was fantastic!
So happy to hear that, Alli! Glad the recipe was a hit for your daughter’s birthday cake!
Oh my goodness!!! Thank you!!! It’s soooo DELICIOUS!! I used for my chocolate cupcake, salted buttercream, & chocolate dipped pretzel!!! They are scrumptious thank you!!
So happy to hear you love this recipe, Laurie! That flavor combo sounds delicious!
would this be enough to fill and cover the sides of a three layer cake or should i double it?
Hi Arthur! Depends on the diameter of the cake layers. For 6-inch, 8-inch, and 9-inch cakes I would double the recipe.
OK thank you. looks amazing cant wait to make it.
Hi!
I have to questions. The first one is, can i use this buttercream for the icing on the cake? Second question is that your salted caramel is it liquid because I have the « syrup one » can that still work? It’s probably a stupid question but can it?
Hi Mikayla! You can totally use this buttercream to ice a cake. The salted caramel I use has the consistency of a thick syrup, so as long as your is a thick syrup consistency and you like the taste of it, it should work!
Hi! I’m making a 4 layer cake, would I need to double the recipe or would this be enough? Thank you!☺️
Hi Rebecca! Doubling this recipe will make enough to fill and frost a four layer cake.