Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe
This Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting recipe perfectly complements moist pumpkin spice cupcakes. The rich, nutty flavor of browned butter combined with tangy cream cheese and warm spices creates a luscious frosting that elevates these seasonal treats to a whole new level.
- Prep Time: 20 minutes
- Cook Time: 19 minutes
- Total Time: 39 minutes
- Yield: 24 cupcakes 1x
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Ingredients
Scale
Cupcakes
- 4 large eggs (at room temperature)
- 1 ½ cup dark brown sugar (packed)
- 1 cup vegetable oil
- 2 tbsp real maple syrup
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- 1 (15 ounce) can of pumpkin
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 2 ¾ tsp cinnamon
- 1 ½ tsp nutmeg
- 1 tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp allspice
- ½ tsp salt
Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
- 1 cup salted butter (cubed)
- 12 ounces cream cheese (softened at room temperature)
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- A pinch of salt
Instructions
- Make the Brown Butter: Melt the cubed salted butter in a pan over medium heat. Cook it until it becomes foamy, then bubbly, and finally turns golden brown, releasing a nutty aroma. Pour it into a bowl and let it chill until it reaches room temperature.
- Make the Cupcakes Batter: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs, dark brown sugar, vegetable oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and canned pumpkin until smooth and well combined. In a separate bowl, mix the all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ground cloves, ground ginger, allspice, and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, whisking until no dry bits remain and the batter is uniform.
- Bake the Cupcakes: Line a cupcake pan with liners and fill each about three-quarters full with the batter. Bake in the preheated oven for 18-19 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from the oven and transfer cupcakes to a wire rack to cool completely before frosting.
- Prepare the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting: In a mixing bowl, beat the room temperature brown butter and softened cream cheese together for about 2 minutes until creamy and smooth. Add powdered sugar, milk, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt. Continue mixing until the frosting is creamy and spreadable.
- Frost and Serve: Once cupcakes are completely cooled, pipe or spread the brown butter cream cheese frosting on top of each cupcake. Enjoy immediately for best flavor and texture. Store any leftover cupcakes with frosting in the refrigerator for up to one week.
Notes
- Ensure the cream cheese and brown butter are at room temperature for smooth frosting.
- Do not overbake cupcakes to keep them moist and tender.
- You can substitute the canned pumpkin with fresh pumpkin puree if desired.
- Let the cupcakes cool completely before frosting to prevent the frosting from melting.
- Store cupcakes in an airtight container refrigerated; bring to room temperature before serving for best taste.
Keywords: brown butter frosting, cream cheese frosting, pumpkin cupcakes, autumn dessert, pumpkin spice cupcakes, holiday cupcakes
