Brown Butter Buttercream

Brown butter really elevated this American buttercream above and beyond! Use this to frost cupcakes, cookies, cakes, whatever you want!

Course Dessert

Cuisine American

Prep Time 10

Cook Time 12

Total Time 22

Calories 6738kcal

Author Whitney Wright

Ingredients

2 cups unsalted butter room temperature but still slightly chilled, divided
7 cups powdered sugar measured then sifted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
4-5 tablespoons heavy cream more or less to reach desired consistency
1/2 teaspoon salt

Instructions

Brown butter: Place 19 tablespoons of butter in a light colored saucepan or skillet. Place the pan over medium to medium-low heat.
Stir the butter around the pan until melted. While browning butter you want to stir just about the entire time to keep things moving and to prevent the butter from burning. Browning butter is a process that takes about 8 minutes from the time the butter has melted.
Once the butter melts, it will begin to foam and sizzle. Continue stirring, eventually the foam will subside and the milk solids at the bottom of the pan will turn a very light golden color. Continue stirring until the milk solids are golden brown and almost amber colored. The smell will be nutty and very buttery. Butter can burn in a matter of seconds so don’t overcook the butter.
Immediately remove the pan from the heat and pour the butter into a heat proof bowl or container. This will stop the cooking process. The butter needs to be at room temperature, so essentially it needs to become a solid again. You can speed up this process by placing the butter in the fridge for 10-15 minutes.
In a bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment add the remaining 13 tablespoons of slightly chilled butter and the room temperature browned butter. Beat to combine. Add the vanilla, and the powdered sugar, 1 cup at a time, and salt. Beat for about 30 seconds, add heavy cream to reach your desired consistency. Mix to combine.

Notes

My post on Browning Butter will be your best friend! It's a huge help in getting amazing browned butter every time!

Store leftover buttercream in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 7 days or in the freezer for up to 2 months. Remove and let thaw in the fridge overnight, then remove and let come to room temperature. Beat to return to a light and fluffy texture.

Nutrition