Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting Recipe (2024)

Silky smooth icing is nice, but Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting Recipe has crunchy little crystals of brown sugar throughout it making it reminiscent of snickerdoodle cookies. Use Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream Buttercream Frosting Recipe on my now-classic Snickerdoodle Cake, white cake, or carrot cake for an indulgent touch!

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting Recipe (1)

What is it about a cake that makes you go back for more? If you’re like most people, it’s the frosting. My husband is one of the only people I know who actually scrapes frosting OFF of cakes and eats the cake only. Mostly.

I say mostly because the frosting (or icing, depending on your geography) you see in that picture above is one of the only ones he eats with enthusiasm. We’re talking about Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting Recipe, folks. You’re looking at something that is quite possibly the most indulgent frosting that can possibly be made. It makes a seriously abundant amount: enough to frost a large layer cake QUITE generously or a double batch of cupcakes or a bunch of cookies and still have a couple of spoons full left for snitching to boot.

This isn’t your average buttercream, and it makes me wonder if that’s why my husband loves it so. Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting Recipe is flecked with crunchy little bits of brown sugar and is fragrant with sweet cinnamon making it a stand-out in the frosting/icing/what-have-you field. It absolutely belongs on my now-classic Snickerdoodle Cake, but it’s also beyond perfect on white cake and makes a unique and welcome change from the norm when used to frost a carrot cake. Maybe ‘crunchy sugar bits’ and ‘frosting’ aren’t normally something that would be thought of as a great pairing, but once you’ve tried it, I think you’ll agree; it’s just so darned good.

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting Recipe (2)

Cook’s Notes:

  • Admittedly, this makes an ENORMOUS amount of Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting Recipe. If you’re planning on making my Snickerdoodle Cake, you’re not going to want to reduce the recipe, but if you’re making cupcakes or cookies or a single layer cake, you may find that halving the recipe will still give you plenty. Honest-to-Pete, though, the worst case scenario is having extra buttercream on hand. I don’t know about you, but I am almost always glad to have buttercream around.
  • There is a range given in the recipe for the confectioner’s sugar. This is because not everyone likes their buttercream the same thickness. If you prefer a more easily spreadable frosting, you’ll probably want to go closer to the 8 cup mark. Want it thicker and more architectural? Add closer to 9 cups.
  • While here in the US, half and half is abundant, I understand that it isn’t as widely available internationally. If you’re wondering what to substitute because half and half isn’t available in your market, mix together light cream and whole milk in equal parts. Tada!

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting Recipe (3)

Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting Recipe

Rate Recipe

Rebecca Lindamood

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 15 minutes mins

Silky smooth icing is nice, but Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting Recipe has crunchy little crystals of brown sugar throughout it making it reminiscent of snickerdoodle cookies. Use Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream Buttercream Frosting Recipe on my now-classic Snickerdoodle Cake, white cake, or carrot cake for an indulgent touch!

Ingredients

  • 4 and 1/2 sticks butter or 1 pound, 2 ounces by weight, softened to room temperature
  • 1 cup light brown sugar packed
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 8-9 cups confectioner's sugar powdered
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1/2 cup of half and half plus more if needed

Instructions

To Make the Buttercream:

  • Beat together the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon until fluffy and pale in colour.

  • Add 6 cups of the confectioner's sugar and the vanilla extract and beat, starting on low and moving up to high, until it is fully incorporated.

  • Scrape down the bowl and add the half and half. Beat to incorporate again.

  • Add another 2 cups of the confectioner's sugar and beat, starting on low and moving up to high, until fully incorporated. Check the consistency of the buttercream. If it needs to be thicker, add the remaining confectioner's sugar. If it is too thick, add more half and half a teaspoon at a time, beating after each addition, until it reaches the consistency you like. Store unused portions of the buttercream in the refrigerator for up to a week.

Nutrition

Calories: 265kcalCarbohydrates: 65gCholesterol: 2mgSodium: 8mgPotassium: 24mgSugar: 64gVitamin A: 30IUVitamin C: 0.1mgCalcium: 19mgIron: 0.1mg

Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.

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Reader Interactions

    Comments + Reviews

    Reader's Thoughts...

  1. Melissa Ann Cooper says

    This icing is amaaaaazing, as is the snickerdoodle cake. My kids loved it so much that they even had it as their wedding cake (along with chocolate, chocolate chip cake)

    Reply

    • Rebecca says

      That makes me so very happy, Melissa Ann! I’m so touched they loved it enough for their wedding!

      Reply

  2. Chloe says

    Hi Rebecca! I was wondering how many cups of frosting this recipe makes?

    Reply

  3. Sarah Held says

    I make this frosting all the time. It is amazing! It is my most requested recipe.

    Reply

    • Rebecca says

      Thanks so much for taking the time to let me know you love it, Sarah!!!

      Reply

  4. Brittany says

    Would you recommend using salted butter or unsalted butter? Thanks!

    Reply

    • Rebecca says

      Hi Brittany- I always recommend unsalted unless otherwise specified. 🙂

      Reply

  5. Risa says

    Can the excess frosting be frozen to use at a later date?

    Reply

  6. Deborah Lagutaris says

    I wonder how it would taste if you used browned butter…

    Reply

    • Leslie says

      That sounds like a great idea! Did you happen to try it?

      Reply

      • Robin Casarez says

        Tried it! It was even more amazing made with the brown butter! I also used brown butter in the accompanying snicker doodle cake. Heavenly!

        Reply

  7. I Just Made This name so I could ask a question. Why are you still reading this? says

    Do I have to use whole milk?

    Reply

    • Rebecca says

      No. You can definitely adjust it if you wish, but I have not tested it with other milks or dairy products, so proceed at your own risk. 😀 If you DO try it and you want to stop back in and let us know what you substituted and how it worked for you, I’d be grateful!

      Reply

  8. Cake lover says

    This is too much batter for 2 9 inch round. Next time i will use 3 pans to keep from getting the crusty edges.

    Reply

    • Rebecca says

      This is the recipe for the frosting. Are you sure you commented in the right place?

      Reply

  9. frances says

    i made the snickerdoodle cake as a dozen cupcakes and a hefty 8 inch round, so halved the frosting and still had plenty. probably could have done 1/3, if i felt like doing that math. i also subbed cream cheese for half the butter to help both cut the sweetness and keep the shape of the final product when piped. it didn’t taste very cinnamon-y to me, so i ended up using 3 teaspoons (yes in a half batch, so 1 tsp more than the full calls for). my husband said he could really taste it then, but it wasn’t overloaded, which worked as i was presenting these as cinnamon toast crunch cupcakes. lovely and easy.

    Reply

  10. Charisse says

    I’m planning to make the snicker doodle cake for my daughter’s first birthday. But I live in hot and humid tropical Singapore. Do you think the buttercream will hold up or melt away in the heat?
    If I modify it and do it the Swiss meringue style, Issit advisable to still add the half and half?

    Reply

    • Rebecca says

      Hmmmmmmm. I think the buttercream would suffer a bit in super heat and humidity. As for modifying it Swiss meringue style, I haven’t tested it so anything I’d suggest would be guessing! I’d love to know how you end up doing it, though! Please check in after the party and let me now how it went!

      Reply

  11. Annie says

    Looking forward to making this buttercream, it sounds amazing! When you say “more architectural” do you mean for decorating purposes? I’m ideally hoping for an icing with a little bit of a “crust” to it for a design I’m doing on a cake and I want to make sure I’m as close to that as possible!

    Reply

    • Rebecca says

      I would say this gets a bit of a crust to it! Of course, if this is going on a cake for a special occasion or an event, I HIGHLY ADVISE giving it a trial run ahead of time. You could frost a batch of cookies, just to be sure. I’d never suggest trying a recipe you’ve never tried before for an event!

      Reply

  12. crystal says

    is there a substiture for half and half- do we have to use it? i live in the UK so there arent many half and half products…

    Reply

    • crystal says

      never mind after i just finished writing my comment i found your answer to it x

      Reply

      • Rebecca says

        I’m glad you found it!! 😀

        Reply

  13. Skye says

    My husband tends to cut off most of the icing from the cake/cupcake he’s about to eat and he ends up giving it to me. So I’m torn here, do I introduce him to this icing so he can stop doing that clearly wrong behavior, even though I will then get less icing?

    Reply

  14. Bri | Bites of Bri says

    This looks delicious! Having extra icing is the worst thing ever…only for my skinny jeans.

    Reply

  15. pamela says

    this is seriously the best.frosting.ever.

    Reply

  16. cheri says

    This looks like an amazing frosting, never had anything like this before. Beautiful.

    Reply

  17. tanya says

    I can honestly say I’ve never scraped frosting off my cake! I love the crunchy bits in this frosting. It really sounds lovely!

    Reply

Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the formula for buttercream frosting? ›

In medium bowl, mix powdered sugar and butter with spoon or electric mixer on low speed. Stir in vanilla and 1 tablespoon of the milk. Gradually beat in just enough remaining milk to make frosting smooth and spreadable. If frosting is too thick, beat in more milk, a few drops at a time.

What is the secret ingredient that will improve your frosting? ›

By mixing in some vinegar, it will give another layer of flavor and also help hold the icing together better. (In general, you'll need a quarter of a teaspoon of vinegar for every three egg whites you use.)

What does brown sugar buttercream taste like? ›

The brown sugar gives the frosting a light natural caramel flavor. It's perfect for topping cakes, cupcakes, or cookies. You can even use it as a filling for cakes and cupcakes! Use light or dark brown sugar to intensify or lighten the flavor.

How do you know if frosting is thick enough? ›

If you stick your spatula into the buttercream, your frosting should maintain a stiff peak. If your buttercream is too thick and can't flow through a piping tip, add more milk – about 1 teaspoon at a time – to slightly thin it out.

What is the difference between buttercream frosting and buttercream icing? ›

The best way to distinguish frosting from buttercream is through the ingredients. While both contain powdered sugar, fat, flavouring and sometimes milk or water, frosting does not contain any butter whatsoever. Instead, frosting is usually made with shortening or cream cheese.

What is the most important ingredient in frosting? ›

Sugar is the most important ingredient in all types of frostings, providing sweetness, flavor, bulk and structure.

What is the most difficult frosting to make? ›

Italian Meringue Buttercream

This is considered one of the very difficult methods for making buttercream because the sugar syrup must be cooked to a specific temperature and then, while piping hot, poured into the whipped egg whites.

What frosting holds up best? ›

Italian buttercream holds up well in warmer temperature, so if you're planning a summer party outside, this is your go-to buttercream.

Why is my brown sugar frosting grainy? ›

Usually it is grainy from the sugar not dissolving into the butter properly. One easy fix is to re-whip the frosting, preferably with the paddle attachment, on medium speed until it becomes smoother. (You can let it go for quite a bit!)

What is the best flavor of buttercream? ›

11 of Our Best Buttercream Icing Flavors
  • Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe. ...
  • Snow White Buttercream Frosting Recipe. ...
  • White Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe. ...
  • Caramel Buttercream Frosting Recipe. ...
  • Dark Chocolate Buttercream Frosting Recipe. ...
  • Mocha Buttercream Frosting Recipe. ...
  • Salted Caramel Buttercream Recipe.
Apr 8, 2022

Which buttercream is best for piping? ›

Swiss Meringue Buttercream

Butter and flavorings are beaten into the meringue to create the buttercream. Because of its stiff meringue base, the frosting holds up well, will not crust and is great for piping cupcakes and decorating cakes.

Can you over whip buttercream? ›

Try not to overbeat the buttercream after all the ingredients have been added or you might add bubbles, which will ruin the texture of the icing. ... For the best results chill your cake and bring the icing to room temperature. You can also beat the buttercream for a few minutes to create great fluffy texture.

How long should you beat buttercream? ›

Scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Add extracts and then with mixer running, add cream until desired consistency is reached. Continue beating on medium-high speed for 3-5 minutes until frosting turns to a light, fluffy, smooth consistency.

What is buttercream frosting made of? ›

Buttercream is a sweet and fluffy frosting made by creaming butter and sugar. Other common ingredients include milk (to create the perfect texture) and vanilla (for simple, crowd-pleasing flavor). Though vanilla is the most popular buttercream flavor, it's also commonly found in chocolate or fruit-flavored varieties.

What is the chemical formula for icing sugar? ›

The chemical or molecular formula for sucrose is C12H22O11, which means each molecule of sugar contains 12 carbon atoms, 22 hydrogen atoms and 11 oxygen atoms.

What are the 4 types of buttercream? ›

Classically there are four main types of buttercream: Italian, German, French & Swiss.

What is the ratio for cake frosting? ›

Goldman also goes on to say that every cake should have a "three to one, cake to frosting" ratio. This is helpful to know when you are getting ready to bake your own recipe. Depending on the size, shape, and number of layers, this could greatly influence the quantity of frosting you need to prepare.

References

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