Brown sugar buttercream pairs the fluffy and velvety smooth texture of a traditional buttercream with the subtle caramel sweetness of brown sugar. This frosting is the perfect way to add some flair to your cakes, cupcakes, or sandwich cookies.
Ingredients
- Brown sugar – light or dark brown sugar works for this buttercream. Dark brown sugar yields richer, bolder flavor, while light brown sugar has more of a mild caramel flavor.
- Water – for making the brown sugar syrup.
- Butter – we used plant butter in this recipe (Country Crock olive oil sticks) to cut back on unsaturated fat. It creams beautifully, almost like a thick cool-whip. You can also use unsalted regular butter for a richer flavor.
- Powdered (confectioner’s ) sugar – for sweetening and thickening the buttercream frosting.
- Vanilla extract – to intensify the flavors of the frosting.
- Salt – to balance out the sweetness.
- Milk – for thinning the frosting, if needed. We opt for plant milk (almond), but you can use cow’s milk or cream.
Tips for Making Brown Sugar Buttercream
- Use softened butter – for the best results, use slightly softened butter. We recommend taking the butter out of the fridge 1 hour before making the buttercream so that it can soften. The butter should be soft, but not runny.
- Use the paddle attachment – this is actually personal preference, but for smooth and creamy buttercream, we like to use the paddle attachment on our stand mixer. It does a better job of creaming the butter and sugar together. Others swear by the whisk attachment, but I’ve found that it often incorporates more air than needed, which ruins the consistency.
- Beat the butter thoroughly – for the dreamiest buttercream, thoroughly beat the butter. We beat ours for a full 3 to 4 minutes. But keep an eye on it, as over-mixing can add too much air. You can fix over-mixed frosting by letting it sit for a few minutes to deflate. Then use a spatula to press the frosting against the side of the bowl to remove air bubbles, scrape, and repeat.
- Add sugar to YOUR taste – you can adjust this recipe based on your preference by adding the powdered sugar a little bit at a time and tasting as you go. That way it’s the perfect sweetness. We prefer frosting a little lighter on the sugar side, so we often don’t use the milk, which allows us to cut back on the sugar.
- Don’t skip the salt – salt in a frosting recipe may seem weird, but it’s key to balancing out the flavors (like vanilla or chocolate) and sweetness in buttercream.
- (EXTRA) Sift powdered sugar – if you’re super finicky about lumps in your frosting, sift your powdered sugar as you add it for incredibly smooth frosting. I tend to skip this step, but it’s entirely up to you!
How to Make Brown Sugar Buttercream
In a small saucepan, dissolve brown sugar in water over medium-low heat. Stir regularly until the sugar melts completely, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and allow to cool at room temperature for 1 hour (or until room temperature).
In a medium stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed for 1 minute, or until fluffy and lightened in color.
Gradually mix in 2 cups of powdered sugar on low speed, allowing time for the sugar to be fully incorporated before adding more. As sugar is incorporated, increase speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
On low speed, mix in the brown sugar syrup. Beat on medium speed another 1 minute.
Reduce the speed to low and add the salt and vanilla. Beat on medium another 30 seconds. Test the consistency and add more powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time (if too thin) or 1-2 teaspoons of milk (if too thick).
Use to frost cake or cupcakes. Enjoy!
How to Store
Store prepared buttercream in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 1 week. When you’re ready to use the leftover buttercream, let it come to room temperature. Then add it to the stand mixer and re-whip until light and fluffy again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Adding the brown sugar straight into the butter can result in gritty buttercream. Instead, dissolve and heat the brown sugar with water to create a simple syrup that can be incorporated into the buttercream (once cooled) for a smooth, velvety texture. You can also try sifting the powdered sugar.
The paddle attachment is better for making buttercream, as it is better at creaming together the butter and sugar into a smooth consistency. The whisk attachment tends to incorporate too much air into the frosting.
If you over-whip your buttercream, it will get lots of air pockets. To remove air bubbles, let the buttercream sit for a few minutes to deflate. Then use a rubber spatula to press the frosting into the side of the mixing bowl. Scrape down the sides and repeat until the frosting is smooth.
Yes! Cold butter straight from the fridge will yield lumpy buttercream, while softened butter will result in a smoother frosting. We recommend allowing butter to sit at room temperature for 1 hour before making the buttercream.
Adding too much liquid will result in runny frosting. Buttercream only requires a splash of flavoring (vanilla or other extract) and/or milk to achieve the smooth consistency. Add milk 1 teaspoon at a time and use concentrated extracts to prevent adding too much liquid.
You can correct runny buttercream by cooling it down. Refrigerate the entire bowl for 15-20 minutes to see if it will thicken. You can also try incorporating more powdered sugar or cornstarch a little at a time until thickened, but know that this will affect the flavor of the frosting.
Check out our other frosting and cake recipes
- Pumpkin snack cake
- Vegan marshmallow fluff
Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting
Equipment
- 1 Stand mixer with paddle attachment
Ingredients
- ½ c light or dark brown sugar
- 3 Tbsp water
- 1 c plant or unsalted butter, softened
- 3-4 c powdered sugar
- 1½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
- 1 tsp plant or cow's milk (optional for thinning)
Instructions
Brown Sugar Syrup
- In a small saucepan, dissolve brown sugar in water over medium-low heat. Stir regularly until the sugar melts completely, about 4 to 5 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and allow to cool at room temperature for 1 hour (or until room temperature).
Brown Sugar Buttercream
- In a medium stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter on medium speed for 1 minute, or until fluffy and lightened in color.
- Gradually mix in 2 cups of powdered sugar on low speed, allowing time for the sugar to be fully incorporated before adding more. As sugar is incorporated, increase speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
- On low speed, mix in the brown sugar syrup. Beat on medium speed another 1 minute.
- Reduce the speed to low and add the salt and vanilla. Beat on medium another 30 seconds. Test the consistency and add more powdered sugar ¼ cup at a time (if too thin) or 1-2 teaspoons of milk (if too thick).
- Use to frost cake or cupcakes. Enjoy!
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