Caramel cream cheese frosting is creamy with the perfect mix of sweet and tang. It is the perfect topping for so many cakes, cupcakes and cookies.
This creamy frosting features the perfect mix of cream cheese tang and sweet salted caramel. It is perfect for topping spice cakes, apple desserts, banana treats and more.
It is soft and creamy but sturdy enough to be piped onto cupcakes or used as a filling between cookies.
I used two of my recent favorite frosting recipes and created a hybrid that is the best of both worlds. It is part decorator’s cream cheese frosting and part easy caramel buttercream.
Those two parts come together to make a super tasty whole. It is so easy to make and you get a little tang from the cream cheese mixed with the sweet warmth of the caramel.
The flavor blends so well with the apple cupcakes. It would also be fabulous on pumpkin cupcakes, banana cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes and more!
Email Me The Recipe
I'll email this post to you, so you can easily find it later. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
This particular batch went on some apple cupcakes, so to complete the look I added a homemade oven baked apple chip to each cupcake. It made them extra festive and gives a preview of the flavors you are about to enjoy.
Carlee’s Tips
I like using a thick caramel sauce like the ones normally sold in jars rather than squeeze bottles if you are looking near the ice cream toppings. But you can usually find thick caramel squeeze bottles by the coffee section as well.
In order to make the frosting stiff enough to pipe on cupcakes, you need to use a higher ratio of butter to cream cheese. There is still plenty of cream cheese to give it the flavor but it has plenty of structure too.
The butter helps to emphasize the butter caramel as well. Though, you can try using shortening if that is your preference.
The salt helps to balance out the powdered sugar, which also gives the frosting stability. It all comes together to make a nice fluffy and flavorful frosting.
Easy Salted Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients
- ½ cup butter softened
- 4 ounces cream cheese softened
- ¾ teaspoons salt
- 4 cups powdered sugar
- ⅓ cup thick caramel sauce
Instructions
- In mixer bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter until it is creamy and smooth.½ cup butter, 4 ounces cream cheese
- Add salt, powdered sugar and caramel sauce and mix on low until most of the powdered sugar is mixed in. Then beat on high for at least 2 minutes.¾ teaspoons salt, 4 cups powdered sugar, ⅓ cup thick caramel sauce
- Adjust the consistency with a little milk or powdered sugar as needed to get it to the texture you like.
- Use immediately or store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To use chilled frosting, allow it to come to room temperature and then beat for a minute or two and then use.
Email Me The Recipe
I’ll email this post to you, so you can easily find it later. Plus you’ll get new recipes from me every week!
Did you try this recipe?
Don’t forget to leave a rating below and make sure to follow on Pinterest and Instagram for more!
Get social!
Recipes in your inbox
Cozy indeed! I would love to curl up on the couch, under my favorite blanket, with one of these in my hand. Looks delicious. Caramel frosting?! Talk about decadent. I can't wait to try this, Carlee. Thanks for sharing.
I hope you enjoy them!
That caramel frosting is nuts! I gotta' try that one.
It's so tasty!
Oh MYYYY! I need these cupcakes!
I'll share!
Fabulous frosting indeed! Wow I need one now!
It's so easy and sooooo tasty!
You're killing me with these. They are just… Oh… Wow…
Thank you =)
These are super creative in how you used both the tea and apple syrup! They look perfectly delicious!
Thank you! It really helped the apple and spice flavor come through without it being too much.
Cozy cupcakes!!! I’ll take two please!!! Perfect for cozy Hallmark movie watching!!! Faith, Hope, Love, & Luck – Colleen
That would be super cozy!
Perfect Autumn Cupcakes!!!!
Thank you!
Love that cream cheese frosting and the dried apple garnish.
It's been a while since I made apple chips, so it was fun to make them again. They add such a flourish, don't they?
I love that these are flavored with the natural goodness in a tea bag! The flavors of early fall all wrapped up in a cute little package!!!
It's such a fun way to add a little flavor and the end results were so tasty!