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Browned Butter Frosting

By Sarah Ewald

Published on February 14, 2020

Time

1¼ hours

Yield

Makes about 4 cups

Browned Butter Frosting

Ingredients

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened3 tablespoons heavy cream 2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract ¼ teaspoon table salt 3 cups (12 ounces/340 grams) confectioners' sugar

Instructions

  1. Melt 12 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Continue to cook, swirling skillet and stirring often with rubber spatula, until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer browned butter to small heatproof bowl. Let cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.
  2. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat browned butter, cream, vanilla, salt, and remaining 12 tablespoons butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium-low, slowly add sugar, and beat until incorporated and smooth, about 2 minutes.
  3. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Frosting can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Let soften at room temperature, about 2 hours, then rewhip on medium speed until smooth, 2 to 5 minutes.)
Browned Butter Frosting
Photography by Steve Klise. Styling by Elle Simone.

Browned Butter Frosting

Headshot of Sarah Ewald
By Sarah Ewald
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Time

1¼ hours

Yield

Makes about 4 cups

Ingredients

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon table salt
3 cups (12 ounces/340 grams) confectioners' sugar

Ingredients

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon table salt
3 cups (12 ounces/340 grams) confectioners' sugar

Ingredients

12 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus 12 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3 tablespoons heavy cream
2 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon table salt
3 cups (12 ounces/340 grams) confectioners' sugar

Why This Recipe Works

We were after a frosting that was sweet yet balanced with toasted, nutty browned-butter flavor. Cooking some of the butter until the milk solids browned added toffee-like notes. Allowing the browned butter to cool before mixing it into the frosting ensured that the frosting was thick enough to spread, and beating it for 5 minutes in a stand mixer helped it become light and fluffy.

Instructions

  1. Melt 12 tablespoons butter in 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Continue to cook, swirling skillet and stirring often with rubber spatula, until butter is dark golden brown and has nutty aroma, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer browned butter to small heatproof bowl. Let cool for 30 minutes at room temperature.
  2. Using stand mixer fitted with paddle, beat browned butter, cream, vanilla, salt, and remaining 12 tablespoons butter on medium-high speed until smooth, about 1 minute. Reduce speed to medium-low, slowly add sugar, and beat until incorporated and smooth, about 2 minutes.
  3. Increase speed to medium-high and beat until frosting is light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. (Frosting can be refrigerated for up to 3 days. Let soften at room temperature, about 2 hours, then rewhip on medium speed until smooth, 2 to 5 minutes.)

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