• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
CakeWhiz
menu icon
go to homepage
  • About
  • All Recipes
  • Seasonal
  • Books
  • Work With Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • search icon
    Homepage link
    • About
    • All Recipes
    • Seasonal
    • Books
    • Work With Me
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • TikTok
    • Twitter
    • YouTube
  • ×
    Home » Recipes » Frosting & Filling

    Caramel Frosting {3 Ingredients}

    Published: Oct 29, 2019 · Modified: Jun 29, 2024 by Abeer Rizvi · This post may contain affiliate links · 6 Comments

    Pin20.6K
    Share
    Tweet
    20.6K Shares
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    The best, quick and easy caramel frosting recipe, homemade with 3 simple ingredients. Rich, creamy, silky smooth, fluffy, stable, holds its shape. Great for spreading and piping.

    It’s finally time to add this no cook caramel buttercream frosting or caramel icing (as some people like to call it), to my ever-growing collection of Frosting and Fillings.

    First, a quick note: This is not a caramel cream cheese frosting, which is slightly tangy. This is actually a very sweet buttercream because it uses both, caramel sauce and powdered sugar. So, a little swirl on cupcakes or a smear on brownies goes a long way.

    More Caramel Desserts

    • Chocolate Caramel Cake
    • Chocolate Caramel Cookies
    • Caramel Pecan Sticky Buns
    • Easy Caramel Apple Pie
    • Chocolate Caramel Apples
    • Caramel Snickerdoodle Cookies
    • Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies
    Caramel Buttercream Frosting Recipe

    Want to Save This Recipe?

    Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

    Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
    Loading

    By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from CakeWhiz

    How to make caramel frosting?

    1. Cream together butter and caramel sauce- It should become fluffy. Basically, whipping these 2 ingredients together allows air to get incorporated, creating that perfect fluffy frosting texture.
    2. Mix in powdered sugar- Do this gradually. If you add it all at once, it can create lumps in the frosting.
    3. Chill- This is very important because it allows the frosting to firm up further and makes it easier to pipe.
    4. Enjoy! Frost your cupcakes or spread it on your cookies and dig in.

    What goes with fluffy salted caramel frosting recipe?

    You can use it on cakes, cupcakes, cookies, brownies and bars. Spread it with a spatula or use decorator tips for piping swirls and cake decorating. 

    Since it is a very sweet icing, pair it with desserts that are not too sweet to create a balanced flavor profile. Chocolate and caramel is always a heavenly flavor combination. Another option would be to pair this frosting with desserts that have warm spices like cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves e.t.c.

    Cakes

    • Chocolate Cake
    • Best Vanilla Cake
    • Easy Spice Cake (Chai Tea Cake)
    • Chocolate Oreo Cake

    Cupcakes

    • Best Vanilla Cupcake Recipe
    • Best Chocolate Cupcake Recipe
    • Oreo Cupcakes (With Cake Mix)

    Cookies

    • Chocolate Whoopie Pie (With Cake Mix)
    • Easy Sugar Cookies (Soft and Chewy)
    • Cinnamon Cookies (Soft and Chewy)

    Brownies and Bars

    • Pumpkin Bars
    • Snickerdoodle Bars
    • Cake Mix Brownies
    Fluffy Caramel Icing

    How to thicken frosting?

    The easiest way to do this is by mixing in more powdered sugar until icing becomes firm and starts to hold its shape.

    How to make frosting thinner?

    Mix in a little milk or heavy cream and icing will become easier to handle.

    Why is my caramel frosting grainy?

    That usually happens when the ingredients are not mixed together properly. You have to use a hand-held mixer or a stand mixer like KitchenAid. You cannot use a whisk or a wooden spoon.

    It can also happen when ingredients are not at room temperature and therefore, they do not blend together smoothly and evenly.

    Another reason for grainy frosting is "lumpy" powdered sugar. If you notice that some of your sugar is clumped together, make sure to sift it first and get it smooth.

    Salted Caramel Frosting

    Tips and Techniques

    • Use THICK caramel sauce- Because if it's too thin, the icing consistency will also be thinner and you will have to add even more powdered sugar to make it thicker, which would consequently make the icing even more sweeter.
    • Caramel sauce substitute- Use Dulce de Leche, which is made with sweetened condensed milk. It's super thick and delicious.
    • Homemade vs. Store-bought caramel sauce- Either can be used. If you are using store-bought version, make sure to buy a caramel topping rather than sauce because topping is usually much thicker.
    • Ingredients should be at room temperature- Because this allows them to blend together smoothly and evenly.
    • Chill frosting- This is very important because it allows the frosting to firm up a bit more and makes it easier to pipe.
    • Use unsalted butter- Because it prevents this icing from becoming too salty.
    • Can this frosting be frozen? Yes! Store it in a sealed container in the freezer for up to 1 month. When you are ready to enjoy it, transfer from freezer to fridge and allow it to thaw overnight. Re-whip it in the morning to make it fluffy again.
    • How much powdered sugar to use? This will depend on how thick or thin your caramel sauce was. If it was very thick (which is what I recommend), less powdered sugar would need to be added. If it was very thin, more sugar would need to be added to get the right frosting consistency.
    • Add a little salt- To cut the sweetness, use salted caramel sauce but if you don't have that, mix in ½ teaspoon salt in step 1.
    • Sift powdered sugar– Because this gets rid of any lumps in the sugar, yielding the smoothest, fluffiest frosting ever.
    • Quantity– This recipe is enough to frost 12 cupcakes (as long as you are making small swirls and not super-high ones). It's also enough to frost a 9 inch sheet cake. However, you would need to double the recipe to fill and frost an 8 inch round cake.

    Recipe

    Easy Caramel Frosting Recipe

    Caramel Frosting

    Abeer Rizvi
    Quick, easy caramel frosting recipe, homemade with 3 simple ingredients. Rich, creamy, smooth, stable, holds its shape. Great for spreading and piping.
    5 from 4 ratings
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe
    Prep Time 10 minutes mins
    Total Time 10 minutes mins
    Course Dessert
    Cuisine American
    Servings 3 cups
    Calories 1104 kcal

    Want to Save This Recipe?

    Enter your email & I'll send it to your inbox. Plus, get great new recipes from me every week!

    Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.
    Loading

    By submitting this form, you consent to receive emails from CakeWhiz

    Ingredients
      

    • 1 cup Butter Unsalted, Room temperature
    • ½ cup Caramel sauce Preferably salted caramel sauce, Can also use Dulce de Leche instead
    • 3-4 cups Powdered sugar

    Instructions
     

    • In a large mixing bowl, add butter, caramel sauce and mix until fluffy.
    • Gradually, add powdered sugar (½ cup at a time) and mix until frosting is smooth and creamy. 
    • If frosting is too thick, mix in some milk or heavy cream. If frosting is too thin, mix in more powdered sugar. 
    • Cover bowl and chill in the fridge for 30 minutes to firm it up a little more and make it easier to pipe. Enjoy!  

    Video

    Notes

    • Read all my tips above.
    • Leftover icing can be stored in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 1 week. It can also be frozen in a sealed container for up to 1 month and thawed in the fridge overnight and whipped to make fluffy again. 

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1104kcalCarbohydrates: 144gProtein: 1gFat: 61gSaturated Fat: 38gCholesterol: 163mgSodium: 674mgPotassium: 49mgSugar: 117gVitamin A: 1925IUCalcium: 38mgIron: 0.1mg

    An automated tool is used to calculate the nutritional information. As such, I cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information provided for any recipe on this site.

    Tried this recipe?Leave a comment below or rate and tag @cakewhiz on social

    Until next time, tata my lovelies!

    Pin20.6K
    Share
    Tweet
    20.6K Shares

    More Frosting & Filling

    • Easy Nutella Frosting (Buttercream Icing) in Glass Bowl.
      Nutella Frosting {Hazelnut Buttercream}
    • Glass Bowl Full of Chocolate Glaze For Cakes and Donuts With a Silver Spoon.
      Easy Chocolate Glaze {For Cakes, Donuts}
    • Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting Spread on Top of Rectangular Cake With Spatula on the Side.
      Chocolate Sour Cream Frosting {Cocoa Powder}
    • Easy Vanilla Sour Cream Frosting in Glass Bowl With Green Rubber Spatula.
      Easy Sour Cream Frosting {Vanilla}

    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. CM

      May 23, 2021 at 6:10 pm

      Can you use salted butter and an unsalted caramel?

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        May 26, 2021 at 9:07 pm

        I haven't tried that but I actually think it should work well.

        Reply
    2. Paula C

      November 10, 2023 at 9:16 pm

      Beautifully silken and very tasty icing…..that was easy to make!  Thank you for sharing your recipe!5 stars

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        November 11, 2023 at 8:49 pm

        So happy you enjoyed it.

        Reply
    3. Kathy

      April 14, 2024 at 7:55 pm

      Does this frosting set up or does it stay sticky?

      Reply
      • Abeer Rizvi

        April 17, 2024 at 10:55 pm

        It has the same consistency as buttercream icing. It's soft and perfect for piping. It's not sticky.

        Reply
    5 from 4 votes (3 ratings without comment)

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Hello, I'm Abeer Rizvi, the author and founder of CakeWhiz.com—a cherished dessert blog dedicated to baking, cake decorating, doctored cake mix recipes, and all things sweet. As a skilled food writer, baker, recipe developer, and cake decorator, I take pride in wearing multiple hats.

    More about me →

    Popular

    • Best Cinnamon Roll Icing Without Cream Cheese in Black Bowl
      Cinnamon Roll Icing {Without Cream Cheese}
    • Homemade Nougat Candy Recipe
      How to Make Nougat
    • Easy Homemade Black Icing in Glass Bowl on White Background
      How to Make Black Icing {Buttercream Frosting}
    • Easy Maple Frosting Piped on Black Background
      Easy Maple Frosting {4 Ingredients}

    4th of July

    • Easy 4th of July Cake on Black Background
      Easy 4th of July Cake {Tiered Cake}
    • Easy Oreo Bites With 4th of July Decorations on Yellow Background
      Mini OREO Bites {No Bake}
    • Easy 4th of July Cupcakes (Red White and Blue Cupcakes)
      4th of July Cupcakes {Red White and Blue Cupcakes}
    • Best Cream Cheese Pound Cake With Topping of Whipped Cream and Fresh Berries.
      Cream Cheese Pound Cake Recipe

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    About

    • Privacy Policy
    • Work with Me

    Newsletter

    • Sign Up! for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Contact
    • FAQ

    As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

    Copyright © 2024 Cake Whiz

    Rate This Recipe

    Your vote:




    A rating is required
    A name is required
    An email is required

    Recipe Ratings without Comment

    Something went wrong. Please try again.