Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting (video)

salted caramel frosting

The one and only recipe you’ll ever need for Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting. This buttercream recipe is perfectly balanced, incredibly delicious and can be used for just about everything! I make my caramel frosting with sweet dulce de leche caramel, which is a richer and thicker version of caramel than regular caramel sauce. And make sure to check out more of my ‘Back to Cake Basics’ series! This caramel frosting recipe will frost an 8-inch cake, or 24 cupcakes.

My Caramel Buttercream Video Tutorial

Watch my YouTube video recipe for step-by-step instructions for making the best caramel buttercream ! Want new recipe updates? Make sure to subscribe to my website emailing list and my YouTube channel to get a notification each time a new recipe goes live!

Ingredients for Salted Caramel Buttercream

Here are the main ingredients you’ll need for making this creamy frosting:

  • Caramel or Dulce de Leche: see my next paragraph for more information about the caramel.
  • Unsalted Butter: although this is a salted caramel frosting, I recommend using unsalted butter. This way, you will be able to control how salty the frosting is. Soften the butter for 30 minutes prior to using.
  • Confectioner’s Sugar: use a fresh bag of sugar for best results.
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Salt: use a fine sea salt for flavoring the buttercream.

What Type of Caramel to Use

Salted caramel frosting is all about the caramel! I use dulce de leche for this recipe, making it really rich and flavorful. Dulce de leche is sweetened condensed milk that has been cooked in the sealed can, resulting in a thick caramel paste. Although you can make your own, I recommend purchasing it already pre-made from your local grocery store. You can also use my home-made caramel sauce for this recipe. Just place the caramel into the refrigerator to set overnight, then use in this recipe! Get the recipe: http://tatyanaseverydayfood.com/recipe-items/caramel-sauce/

homemade salted caramel sauce in glass jar

How to Make Salted Caramel Buttercream

Here’s how I make one of my favorite buttercream frostings! It’s super easy to prepare!

  1. Place the softened, unsalted butter into a mixing bowl. Whisk the butter on high speed for about 5 minutes, until the butter is light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the mixing bowl often to get all the butter mixed well.
  2. Add the dulce de leche (cooked sweetened condensed milk) or caramel sauce. If necessary, increase the amount of confectioner’s sugar to thicken the frosting. Mix for about a minute until the caramel is well combined with the butter.
  3. Add the vanilla and salt last. Start by adding 1/4 teaspoon salt, then add more if needed. Begin adding the confectioner’s sugar 1 cup at a time, scraping down sides of mixing bowl often to get everything incorporated. Make sure to sift confectioner’s sugar before adding to avoid any clumps. After adding all sugar, whisk on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes to get frosting very fluffy.

How to Store Buttercream

If you don’t plan to use this buttercream frosting right away, you can store it for later. You can store it in the refrigerator for 1 week. Simply place it into an airtight container and into the fridge. Soften at room temperature for 1 hour, then mix again and use. You can also store it in the freezer. Transfer the buttercream into a freezer friendly container and store it for up to 1 month. Defrost the frosting in the refrigerator overnight.

caramel pecan pumpkin cake recipe

Recipes to Use with Caramel Frosting

This caramel buttercream recipe is great for so many cakes and desserts! Check out so of my other recipes using this delicious frosting recipe! You’re sure to enjoy these!

I use it for cake creations like my ‘Almond Roca Cake‘. It goes well with vanilla and chocolate cake, or even as a filling for macarons!

caramel cake with chocolate ganache, chocolate lace and almond roca candy

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Salted Caramel Frosting video recipe

More Recipes!

Enjoyed this delicious caramel frosting recipe? It’s part of my ‘Back to Cake Basics’ series, where I share simple cake, frosting and filling recipes you can mix and match! Check out some of my other episodes!

  • Pistachio Buttercream Frosting – delicious and nutty frosting made with salted pistachios! Extra creamy and fluffy!
  • Chocolate Buttercream – the BEST chocolate frosting! Extra rich and creamy, made with cocoa powder and melted dark chocolate!
  • French Buttercream – the smoothest and silkiest buttercream recipe, made with egg yolks, sugar syrup and butter.
  • German Buttercream – a unique and creamy frosting made with vanilla pastry cream and butter!

Supplies & Tools

Need some supplies to make this recipe? You can get them here (Amazon affiliate links):

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salted caramel buttercream frosting in a bowl on a table
5 from 4 votes

Salted Caramel Buttercream Frosting (video)

20 minutes prep + 0 minutes cook
5 cups
How to make the best salted caramel buttercream for your next cake, cupcakes, macarons and more!

Ingredients 

  • 2 cups unsalted butter
  • 14 ounce can dulce de leche
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 1/4 – 1/2 tsp salt, adjust to flavor
  • 2 to 3 cups confectioner’s sugar

Instructions

  • Place softened, unsalted butter into mixing bowl. Whisk on high speed for about 5 minutes, until butter is light and fluffy. Scrape down sides of mixing bowl often to get all the butter mixed well.
  • Add the dulce de leche (cooked sweetened condensed milk) or caramel sauce. If necessary, increase the amount of confectioner’s sugar to thicken the frosting. Mix for about a minute until the caramel is well combined with the butter.
  • Add the vanilla and salt. Start by adding 1/4 teaspoon salt, then add more if needed. Begin adding the confectioner’s sugar 1 cup at a time, scraping down sides of mixing bowl often to get everything incorporated. Make sure to sift confectioner’s sugar before adding to avoid any clumps. After adding all sugar, whisk on high speed for 2 to 3 minutes to get frosting very fluffy.

Nutrition

Serving: 1cup | Calories: 1092kcal | Carbohydrates: 92g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 79g | Saturated Fat: 47g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 19g | Trans Fat: 3g | Cholesterol: 195mg | Sodium: 360mg | Potassium: 24mg | Sugar: 87g | Vitamin A: 2269IU | Calcium: 23mg | Iron: 1mg