Okay, so today I tried making brown butter cream cheese frosting. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while, and let me tell you, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. I started by browning the butter.
First, I grabbed a stick of unsalted butter and tossed it into a saucepan. I cooked it over medium heat, swirling the pan now and then. It started to foam and then turned this beautiful golden brown color. You gotta keep an eye on it, or it will burn real quick. Once it got all nutty and fragrant, I took it off the heat and let it cool down until it became solid again, but still a bit soft.
Then I got a big bowl and threw in some softened cream cheese. I used my electric mixer to beat it until it was all smooth and creamy. Next, I added the cooled brown butter to the cream cheese. I mixed them together until it looked well combined.
After that, I gradually added in powdered sugar, a little at a time, mixing well after each addition. This part can get a bit messy, but you gotta power through. Once all the sugar was incorporated, I added a splash of vanilla extract and a pinch of salt to balance out the sweetness. I beat it on high speed until the frosting was light and fluffy.
- Use Room Temperature Ingredients: It really makes a difference, trust me.
- Don’t Rush the Browning: Good things take time.
- Add Sugar Gradually: Avoid a sugar storm.
Tasting and Using It
I tasted it, and boy, it was good. The brown butter added this rich, nutty flavor that regular cream cheese frosting just doesn’t have. I spread it on some cupcakes I had baked earlier. The combination of the moist cake and the rich frosting was a winner.
This brown butter cream cheese frosting turned out way better than I expected. It’s a bit more work than making regular frosting, but that extra effort is totally worth it for the depth of flavor you get. I can already tell I will be making this again, maybe for some cookies or even as a dip for fruits. It’s that versatile and delicious. I am so glad I finally gave this a try, and it’s definitely going to be a regular in my baking adventures now!