Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

Aug 13, 2026 · By VanillaGoods

Baking Frostings fillings toppings Origin: Ugandan Vanilla: Extract Easy

Cupcakes piped with brown butter cream cheese frosting

A tangy, creamy brown butter cream cheese frosting for cakes and cupcakes. Best with Ugandan vanilla (bold, chocolatey, smoky); any pure vanilla works. Makes about 3 cups; frosts 24 cupcakes or a 9-by-13-inch cake.

Prep 10 min

Cook —

Total 10 min

Yield 24 cupcakes

Diet —

Ingredients

Adjust yield

cupcakes

8.0 oz (227.0 g)cream cheese, softened but still cool
¼ cup (57.0 g)unsalted butter, softened
¼ cup (50.0 g)browned butter, chilled until solid but still soft
3.0 cups (360.0 g)confectioners' sugar, sifted
⅛ tspfine sea salt
2.0 tsp (10.0 ml)VanillaGoods pure vanilla extract

Make it at home

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Instructions

Beat the cream cheese, butter, and browned butter on medium speed until smooth and combined, about 1 minute.
With the mixer on low, gradually add the confectioners' sugar and salt, then the vanilla. Beat on medium just until smooth and creamy, about 1 minute. Don't overbeat, or the frosting turns runny.
If it's too soft to pipe, refrigerate for 15 to 20 minutes.

Tips

Use full-fat brick cream cheese; spreadable tub cream cheese makes a runny frosting.
Vanilla swap: use vanilla bean paste 1:1 in place of the extract for visible specks, or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean for each tablespoon of extract.
Best vanilla for this: Ugandan (bold, chocolatey, smoky), or Mexican (spiced, warm, woodsy). Any pure vanilla works.
Storage: Refrigerate the frosting and any frosted cake for up to 5 days. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

Recipe FAQ

How long does it take to make brown butter cream cheese frosting?

Plan on 10 minutes of prep. It makes about 3 cups; frosts 24 cupcakes or a 9-by-13-inch cake.

How should I store brown butter cream cheese frosting?

Refrigerate the frosting and any frosted cake for up to 5 days. Let stand 20 minutes before serving.

Can I use a different form of vanilla?

use vanilla bean paste 1:1 in place of the extract for visible specks, or the seeds of 1 vanilla bean for each tablespoon of extract.

Estimated · per serving

Nutrition

Per serving = 1 of 24 servings this recipe makes.

127 Calories / serving

7.2g Fat

15.6g Carbs

0.6g Protein

15.1g Sugar

Whole recipe (24 servings): ~3048 cal · 173g fat · 374g carbs · 14g protein · 362g sugar

Estimated values per serving, calculated from standard ingredient data. Not verified Nutrition Facts; actual values vary with brands, measurements, and preparation.

Per serving · 127 calories

What it takes to burn one serving

Brisk walking 24 min·1.4 mi·~2800 steps
Walking uphill or incline treadmill 17 min·0.9 mi·~1700 steps
Moderate cycling 13 min·2.6 mi
Swimming laps 18 min
Jogging 12 min·1.0 mi·~1900 steps
Stair climbing 12 min·~1100 steps
Dancing 21 min
Bodyweight circuit training 13 min
Cleaning, errands, or playing with the dog 29 min

Rough estimates for one serving, based on standard MET values at about 155 lb. Your own burn depends on body size, effort, and fitness. Shown for context only — food is not something you have to earn.

Made with VanillaGoods

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