Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting takes classic cream cheese frosting to a whole new level. The nutty, caramelized flavor of browned butter blends with tangy cream cheese for a silky, fluffy frosting that’s perfect for cakes, cupcakes, or cookies.
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese room temperature
- 8 ounces unsalted butter 2 sticks room temperature and divided
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
Instructions
- Place 4 ounces of the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Let it melt and continue cooking until it becomes lightly browned, about 5–8 minutes. As soon as you see small browned bits forming in the pan, remove the butter from the heat. Let cool at room temperature for about 10 minutes, then place in the refrigerator for an additional 20–30 minutes to cool completely. Once cooled properly, it will be semi-solid, like room-temperature butter.
- While the browned butter chills, place the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on high speed until smooth. Add the remaining 4 ounces of butter and the cooled browned butter, and beat on high until well combined, scraping down the bowl as needed.
- Add 1 cup of powdered sugar, along with the vanilla and salt. Mix on low speed until the sugar is incorporated. Add the remaining sugar, 1 cup at a time. Scrape down the bowl as needed. Then turn the mixer to medium speed and beat for 2 minutes. Finally, increase to high speed and beat for an additional 3–5 minutes, or until the frosting is light and fluffy.
Equipment
- saucepan
- electric mixer or stand mixer