Learn how to make richly flavored brown butter cream cheese frosting with this easy recipe. This creamy frosting tastes incredible on banana cake, pumpkin cake, spice cake, zucchini cake, and so much more. You only need 5 ingredients, but be sure to allow time for the browned butter to re-solidify in the refrigerator.
How do you make silky, creamy, tangy cream cheese frosting even better? By adding the most magical ingredient of allโbrown butter.
I first shared this frosting on my zucchini cake and banana layer cake, and readers went wild for it. With so much love and praise, it only felt right to give this fan-favorite its very own spotlight. It more than deserves it!
Here are just a few of the many, many reviews:
One reader, Sarah, commented: “This is just a comment on the brown butter cream cheese frosting (which I used with a different cake recipe)โit is THE BEST FROSTING I HAVE EVER HAD IN MY LIFE. No exaggeration. The nuttiness, the tang, the vanilla, the just-right-sweetness, ohmygoodness. It is literally perfect.โ โ โ โ โ “
Another reader, Mary, commented: “I now want to use brown butter frosting for any cake that calls for cream cheese frosting… SO GOOD!!! โ โ โ โ โ “
Another reader, Peter, commented: “I will literally never make cream cheese frosting any other way ever again. Even my friends who donโt like cream cheese loved it. โ โ โ โ โ “
Another reader, Eva, commented: “Wow! Iโm not a huge fan of frosting. Most of it is too sweet for me… This one, however, is amazingโthe combination of sweet, salty, and umami made it hard to stop licking the bowl. โ โ โ โ โ “
It’s easy to see why this frosting is so popular. You have all of the tangy creaminess of already-pretty-perfect cream cheese frosting, plus the delicately nutty, toffee-caramelized flavor from brown butter on top of it.
I don’t overload the frosting with sugar, eitherโjust enough to bulk it up without masking the brown butter flavor. Here’s everything you need to make it:
How to Make Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
It’s simple to make, but you do need to allow time for the browned butter to re-solidify in the refrigerator. You can brown the butter first, before you even make your cake, or do it while the cake is baking or cooling.
Browning butter takes less than 10 minutes, and I have an entire tutorial on how to brown butter if you need some extra help.
After you brown the butter on the stove, refrigerate it until it’s re-solidified:
Then beat the solidified brown butter with softened (room-temperature) cream cheese to make the base of the frosting. Finally, add in the confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt, and beat the frosting until it’s smooth and creamy.
Just look at all those gorgeous specks of pure FLAVOR!
Success Tip: Use the Right Cream Cheese
Your brown butter cream cheese frosting will be thin and runny if you’re not careful about the type of cream cheese you use. Make sure you use an 8-ounce (226g) brick of full-fat cream cheese, not reduced-fat or “light” cream cheese, and not the cream cheese spread that comes in a tub. Save the cream cheese spread for topping your bagels.
The #1 reason bakers end up with runny frosting is because they’re accidentally using cream cheese spread instead of a brick. There’s a HUGE difference! For the best, thickest, and most successful frosting, use the bricks of real, full-fat cream cheese.
Also, make sure the cream cheese sits out at room temperature for a little while before you need it. If your cream cheese is too cold when you begin beating it, you’ll end up with lots of tiny lumps of cream cheese in your frosting. You don’t want those in your cheesecake, and you don’t want them in your frosting, either!
Can Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting Be Piped?
Cream cheese frosting, including this brown butter cream cheese frosting, can be challenging to pipe because it’s so creamy and soft. However, if you refrigerate it prior to piping, it should hold shape better. Fit your piping bag with a piping tip, fill your bag with the frosting, then refrigerate it for 20โ30 minutes before piping.
Still, don’t expect it to be as sturdy as buttercream. Think about it: cream cheese right out of the refrigerator is much softer to the touch than cold butter is! So save any intricate piped designs for vanilla buttercream, and stick with a basic round tip for piping cream cheese frosting.
How Much Frosting Does This Make?
The amount in the recipe card below makes enough to frost a quarter sheet cake (9×13-inch pan), a batch of 12 cupcakes, OR a thin coating on a 2-layer cake. If you need enough frosting for a 3-layer cake, see recipe Note below.
Try This Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting on:
- Spice Cake (pictured above)
- Zucchini Cake (pictured below)
- Pumpkin Cake or Pumpkin Cupcakes
- Banana Cake or Banana Cupcakes
- Apple Cake or Apple Cupcakes
- Pineapple Carrot Cake or Carrot Cupcakes
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes
- Total Time: 2 hours, 25 minutes (includes refrigeration)
- Yield: 2.5 cups (for 1 quarter sheet cake)
- Category: Frosting
- Method: Whipping
- Cuisine: American
Description
Learn how to make richly flavored brown butter cream cheese frosting with this easy recipe. This creamy frosting tastes incredible on banana cake, pumpkin cake, spice cake, zucchini cake, and so much more. You only need 5 ingredients, but be sure to allow time for the browned butter to re-solidify in the refrigerator. If you need enough to frost a layer cake, see recipe Notes below.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup (4 Tbsp; 56g) unsalted butter, cut into 4 slices
- 8 ounces (226g) full-fat brick cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 2 and 1/2 cups (300g) confectioners’ sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- pinch of salt
Instructions
- Brown the butter: Set out a medium heatproof bowl or glass liquid measuring cup because youโll need it at the end of this step. Place the sliced butter in a light-colored skillet or saucepan. A light-colored interior allows you to determine when the butter begins to brown. Melt the butter over medium heat, stirring or whisking constantly. Once melted, the butter will begin to foam. Continue stirring/whisking, keeping a close eye on it. After about 5โ7 minutes, the butter will begin browning and youโll notice lightly browned specks forming at the bottom of the pan. The butter will have a nutty aroma. The color will gradually deepen, from yellow to golden to golden-brown; once itโs a light caramel-brown color, immediately remove from heat and pour into the bowl; be sure to scrape out and include the brown solids that have formed on the bottom of the pan. Cool for 10 minutes at room temperature, then transfer to the refrigerator to cool completely and solidify.
- Make the frosting: In a large bowl using a handheld or stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat the solidified brown butter on high speed until creamy and smooth, about 1 minute. Add the cream cheese and beat again until smooth and combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed. Add confectioners’ sugar, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low speed for 30 seconds, then gradually increase to high speed and beat for 2 minutes.
- Spread the frosting on cooled cake or cupcakes. If you plan to pipe the frosting, transfer it to a piping bag fitted with a piping tip and refrigerate it for 20โ30 minutes before piping.
- Cover leftover frosting tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.
Notes
- Make Ahead Instructions: You can brown the butter up to 3 days in advance and store it in the refrigerator until you are ready to make the frosting.
- Special Toolsย (affiliate links): Light-Colored Skillet or Stainless Steel Skillet | Whisk | Silicone Spatula | Electric Mixer (Handheld or Stand)
- Amount: This recipe makes enough to frost a quarter sheet cake (9×13-inch pan), a batch of 12 cupcakes, OR a thin coating on a 2-layer cake. If you need enough frosting for a 3-layer round cake, increase the ingredient amounts to the following and follow the same instructions: 1/2 cup (8 Tbsp; 113g) unsalted butter softened to room temperature, 12 ounces (339g) full-fat brick cream cheese softened to room temperature, 4 cups (480g) confectioners’ sugar, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract, and 1/2 teaspoon salt.
- Brown Butter: For more information and troubleshooting, see this post on how to brown butter.
Reader Comments and Reviews
Hi Sally! I was going to make your spice cake recipe, but make the batter into 24 cupcakes so I think I want to make double the frosting since this recipe is for 12 cupcakes. I was wondering if I could just double the recipe ingredients when making it or if you think it’s better to make 2 separate batches of the frosting.
Hi Jillian, you can double this recipe, not a problem!
Can’t wait to make this tomorrow. I was going to use your regular cream cheese recipe, but decided to try this out. I noticed the brown butter cream cheese frosting starts with less butter than the regular cream cheese. Is there a reason for this – normally, recipes call for more butter if it’s being browned.
Thank you!
Hi Sara, this is a very smooth, slightly softer cream cheese frosting. Let us know if you give it a try!
That makes so much sense. Thanks so much for the quick reply.
I just made this using your recipe and it was fantastic! The right level of tang from the cream cheese.
Thanks so much for your help!
Iโm giving this a five because the flavor is off the charts! But mine ended up so thick and gloopy, kind of like a thick paste. Now I DID accidentally use a tub of cream cheese so I was just coming to ask if I tried this again with a brick might it be less gloopy? With it fluff up? Thanks for a great tasting frosting!
Hi Jen, you really need brick style cream cheese to make this frosting!
Hi. I wanted to make homemade cream cheese from raw milk. Do you think this will work out okay?
Hi Melanie, we haven’t tested this frosting with homemade cream cheese, so we’re unsure if the texture will be comparable. It may take some tinkering. Let us know if you give anything a try.
Used this frosting to top a pumpkin layer cake, and used the portion recommendation in the Notes for the 3 layer 8 inch cake. It was absolutely delicious, not too sweet and so warm and flavourful!
Does this work on muffins besides cakes & cupcakes?
Sure!
Quite possibly the best thing Iโve ever made in my life. I use a particular approved frosting recipe for my cottage bakery and had the thought to try brown butter in it. Great instructions and canโt wait to try it on everything!!
I love your recipes. You are an amazing baker
Can I use the brown butter cream cheese fitting on a bundt cake?
Hi Kay, yes, you can use this frosting on a Bundt cake if desired.
This frosting is a game changer!! YUMMO! I would say it’s one of my top frostings ever. My husband licked the beater dry. I made it to go with Sally’s pumpkin cake & took it to a Bible study last night. Everyone loved it! I don’t think I’ll ever make plain cream cheese frosting again. Next time I make a carrot cake, this will be the frosting.
Question – why wouldn’t all the ingredients be doubled for the layer cake adaptation (in Notes)? Thanks!
Hi Cj, I scaled it up to make just enough for a layer cake, and so that the brown butter flavor really shines. There’s a bit more brown butter in comparison to the cream cheese and sugar, but it works wonderfully.
Perfect – thank you!
My favorite frosting too! I have always made it when I make the zucchini cake. Great flavor and won’t go back to regular cc frosting!
Can I use salted butter?!
Hi Miranda, you can. We would leave out the added pinch of salt.
My son requested a carrot cake (Sallyโs of course) for his bday and I was afraid to mess with perfection but Iโm glad I did! The nuttiness of the browned butter really picked up the carrots, walnuts and spices. Just use all of it if youโre doing 2 9โ rounds – it looked like too much going on and โtoo sweetโ is a common complaint in my house so I left some off. We all agreed that you cannot have too much of this frosting!