Caramel Frosting

Today we are sharing our favorite recipe for Caramel Frosting!

This caramel frosting is easy to make, tastes fantastic, and pipes perfectly (as seen in our caramel cupcakes below). If you've been searching for a great go-to caramel frosting recipe, this is the one.

Why we Love It

There are many reasons to love this caramel frosting. Here are just a few!

• Easy to make with simple ingredients.
• Caramel tastes fantastic with so many recipes (from caramel cake to apple cake, chocolate cake, spice cake, and more!)
• Has amazing flavor from homemade caramel sauce.
• Makes a great filling or frosting and is perfect for piping!

How to Make Caramel Frosting

This delicious caramel frosting recipe combines rich homemade caramel sauce with confectioners sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt.

You can find the full, printable frosting recipe card further down in this post. Here is a quick look at our steps!

• In a saucepan, heat butter, brown sugar (we used dark brown sugar), and light corn syrup over medium to medium-high heat, stirring constantly. *The light corn syrup helps to prevent sugar crystals from forming/grainiess.
• Bring the mixture to a boil and continue cooking for 3 minutes, stirring constantly. Try to keep mixture off sides of pan.

• Add the cream and salt and continue stirring until it begins to boil. Remove from heat, add the vanilla extract, and cool for 15 minutes or so.

• Pour the homemade caramel sauce into the bowl of your mixer if it is metal or a heat proof bowl. You can also use a hand mixer. Pour carefully as this is very hot.

• Add the confectioners sugar to the hot mixture bit by bit, mixing at medium speed until smooth.
• The mixture will thicken as the powdered sugar is added.

• Add a small amount of very hot water (one teaspoon or tablespoon at a time) as needed until the frosting reaches a good consistency for spreading.
• Makes about 4-4.5 cups of frosting. When not using the frosting, place plastic wrap over the bowl.

Consistency of Caramel Frosting

We used this frosting to pipe rosettes onto our Caramel Cupcakes. You will find this frosting so easy to work with.

If it sets up too much or is a bit thicker than you like, simply mix in hot water in very small increments until you've reached the desired creamy consistency.

Caramel Frosting FAQs

More Caramel Cakes

If you love caramel cake recipes, we have made so many over the years! Some of our most popular are Chocolate Caramel Cake, Caramel Italian Cream Cake, Sweet Potato Bundt Cake, and Snickerdoodle Cake.

Thanks so much for stopping by! Don't miss our full collection of delicious cake recipes as well as frostings and glazes!

If you are interested in cake decorating as well, we have so many tutorials to share with you.

You'll find everything from how to frost a cake to making elegant cakes, baby shower cakes, and all sorts of fun birthday cake designs!