This Creamy Brown Sugar Frosting is super rich and loaded with sweetness and flavor. It’s easy to make and goes well with pretty much everything!
ITTTTTT’SSSSS Frosting Friday again!!! I have taken a few weeks off from our frosting adventures, but I am back and it’s a GOOD ONE! Today we’re talking about Creamy Brown Sugar Frosting. It’s sweet, creamy and crazy delicious.
It crusts perfectly, if you are looking for a great crusting frosting, and the flavor is out of this world! I would eat this stuff with a spoon if my dentist would let me!
The only “downside” to my recipe is it isn’t stiff enough to pipe flowers, or anything that needs a firm edge. And that’s ok! It’s the perfect “spreading” frosting if that makes sense. This brown sugar frosting is absolutely thicker than an icing, although you could easily add less powdered sugar to the recipe and make it more “pourable”.
Let me essplain…
Tips for Creamy Frosting
The trick for me, is to cook the brown sugar with some butter and heavy cream, thus basically enough to dissolve the brown sugar. You could make this without doing this step, but your brown sugar would still be a little crunchy in the frosting…
I’m not opposed to that, actually, but if you want ultra-creamy, you need to melt the sugar.
Just bring this mixture to a boil and then remove it from the heat. If you boiled it longer, you’d be making candy, like caramel.
Cool Completely Before Adding Powdered Sugar
You really need to let it cool completely before whipping it up with powdered sugar. It would get completely solid as it cools, but it will be a thick glorious butterscotchy sauce. Girl, yes.
You could stop there…yes you could.
But I have never been one to back down from adding more sugar.
SO yep…add in some powdered sugar and mix it using your whisk attachment to thicken this all up and create a more traditional type frosting.
This frosting is fantastic on ANY cake…vanilla, chocolate, yellow…
And you could absolutely add chopped pecans to it as well to make a praline frosting. How good would THAT be?!
Happy Frosting Friday, indeed!! Don’t forget to post your pictures on Instagram and use the hashtag #cookiesandcups and if it’s FROSTING use #FrostingFriday
To catch up our Frosting Friday adventures, check out these other great recipes:
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Creamy Brown Sugar Frosting
- Prep Time: 15
- Cook Time: 5
- Total Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Frosting
- Method: Stove
- Cuisine: American
Description
This Creamy Brown Sugar Frosting is super rich and loaded with sweetness and flavor. It’s easy to make and goes well with pretty much everything!
Ingredients
- 1 cup butter
- 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar, packed
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 teaspoon vanilla
- 4 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- In a medium saucepan over medium low heat bring the butter, brown sugar, and heavy cream to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat immediately and allow to cool completely.
- Transfer the brown sugar mixture into the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. With the mixer on low, slowly add in the vanilla and then powdered sugar. Turn the mixer speed up to medium and continue mixing until creamy and combined, scraping the sides of the bowl as necessary.
Notes
This frosting is creamy and will pipe, but isn’t stiff enough to pipe roses. It also is a great “crusting” frosting.
Store airtight for up to 5 days in refrigerator. Bring back to room temperature before using.
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Great recipe, but because I can’t leave any recipe alone I added two teaspoons of instant espresso to the butter, cream, and brown sugar. Amazing.
Delicious. Memories of my childhood. I usually use cream but didn’t have any. Carnation Evaporated Milk worked beautifully as a substitute. For those whose icing became too thick to spread, adding a little cream and beating again helps.
This recipe tastes good but oh my god the consistency is awful. It’s like trying to ice a cake with cookie dough. It made me want to pull my hair out. Thank goodness it tastes good!
I just made this frosting and absolutely love it. Was in a pinch and didn’t have any powdered sugar. I did add a pinch of salt. This recipe came out wonderful, I let it cool quite a bit before I whipped it up with the mixer and it thickened up pretty nicely. I will be making this again.
Thanks for sharing…can’t wait to try this. Will this hold up on a layer cake? Or would it ooze out the center?
It will hold up to a layer cake but is softer than traditional buttercream. You can always add a bit more powdered sugar to make it stiffer if you prefer, but it will work!