Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting is a light and creamy frosting made with basic ingredients, including caramel sauce, that is a wonderful addition to your homemade frostings. Top a chocolate cupcake with it, and sprinkle with some sea salt to enjoy something magical!
Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
My traditional cream cheese frosting recipe is one of those recipes that people come back for again and again. It has loads of flavor and can be customizable in that you can adjust the thickness and creaminess to fit your needs!
While I love that creamy cream cheese frosting, my passion for decorating cupcakes runs even deeper. I wanted to find a cream cheese frosting with a little depth and originality. Bring in the caramel sauce!
How to Make Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
I have started to use a lot more cream cheese frostings with my recipes. They go so perfectly with banana breads, zucchini treats, and then apple and pumpkin desserts! So, finding a really good Caramel Cream Cheese frosting was not something I knew I needed in my life until I accidentally ate some.
To make this frosting, first, beat together the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy. Next, add the caramel sauce and vanilla. Finally, add the confectioners’ sugar, one cup at a time, until you have reached your desired consistency. I most recently used it on some Spice Cupcakes. And I definitely would use it for a rustic zucchini cake or anything red velvet.
Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- 8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
- 4 tablespoons salted butter, room temperature
- ½ cup caramel sauce
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 3 cups (330g) confectioners' sugar, divided
Instructions
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment (or using a handheld mixer), beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute.
- Add the caramel sauce and vanilla. Beat until blended.
- Add 3 cups of confectioners sugar, 1 cup at a time, and beat on low speed until blended. Add more confectioners' sugar if needed to reach desired consistency.
- Increase mixer speed and beat on medium-high speed for up to 2 minutes.
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Haven’t tried this yet, sounds amazing!
I stumbled across a technique that ensured that my cream cheese icing could be piped into any shape and that was to add the cream cheese at the very, very end. It works everytime. If you add it any sooner, the sugar seems to leach the water out of the cheese. I wonder if it would work to stabilise the frosting by adding the cream cheese last? I’m going to try it and let you know!
Love your site!!
Is caramel sauce the same as caramel syrup that is used as an ice cream topping like, Smuckers?
It definitely can be! 🙂
Hello,
I will have an party for my son at the park on the summer days so i would like to know what is the best recipe frosting that hold up the best under high heat?
TIA
What size tip did you use to make the ruffle/star frosting in main photo?
Hi! I just wanna know how to frost it like this! lol. I love the circle tip..do you just apply a lot of pressure and slowly lift up?
I made this recipe and used store bought caramels. If you chose to use caramel candies when you melt them use them RIGHT AWAY. Mine almost turned back into candies. It made enough for me to frost 24 cupcakes. It tasted AMAZING!
I’m excited to try this. Approximately how much does this recipe yield?
Hi
I haven’t had much luck with cream cheese frosting yet! Have tried it a couple of times but it gets coarse and crunchy every time.
Please tell me what to do!
I love your recipes, but if I made every one that I liked, I would be the size of a house – a happy house….. 😊
I have made this a few times and oh my goodness it is amazing!! Thank you for sharing this! I am doing a 3 layer 10″ caramel cake for a friends birthday and I want to use this frosting. She wants it to be a naked cake so I don’t need as much frosting. Would you think doubling this would enough? I hate to triple and then have a ton left! Thanks for any suggestions you have 🙂