Frosting & Filling No Bake Desserts Thanksgiving

Caramel Frosting {3 Ingredients}

posted October 29, 2019 by Abeer Rizvi — This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

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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

How to make caramel frosting?

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.
Mix in powdered sugar– Do this gradually. If you add it all at once, it can create lumps in the frosting.
Chill– This is very important because it allows the frosting to firm up further and makes it easier to pipe.
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

Cupcakes

Brownies and Bars

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.

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 1/2 tsp 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.

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