I perfected a Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting in 10 minutes that I now reach for when I bake fall cakes and cupcakes, and it’s the Brown Sugar Frosting everyone asks about at Thanksgiving.
I always thought buttercream couldn’t get more interesting until I made this Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting. I use unsalted butter and a good pinch of ground cinnamon and something about the caramel like notes turns ordinary cupcakes into something weirdly addictive.
It’s the kind of Brown Sugar Frosting that makes people ask for the recipe at parties, even when I’m trying to play it cool. If you like Fall Baking Recipes that taste almost nostalgic but kind of new, you’ll want to try this.
It’s quick, messy, and surprisingly easy to mess up in a good way, trust me.
Ingredients
- Unsalted butter: adds rich creamy fat, helps texture and mouthfeel but high in calories.
- Light brown sugar: molasses flavored sweetness, adds moisture and caramel notes to frosting.
- Powdered sugar: super fine sugar gives structure and sweetness, mostly pure carbs.
- Ground cinnamon: warm, aromatic spice, adds flavor and slight antioxidant benefits.
- Vanilla extract: rounds flavors with sweet floral notes, theres only a tiny antioxidant trace.
- Heavy cream: loosens frosting, gives it silkiness and fat, boosts calories and richness.
- Sea salt: balances sweetness, enhances flavors and prevents frosting tasting flat.
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temp
- 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar (firmly packed)
- 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 2 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
- 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
How to Make this
1. Gather everything: 1 cup (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter, 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar, 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar (sift if lumpy), 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp pure vanilla, 2 to 4 tbsp heavy cream or whole milk, and 1/4 tsp fine sea salt. Let butter warm to room temp so it creams easy.
2. In a large bowl beat the butter on medium for 1 to 2 minutes until creamy and pale, scraping the bowl once or twice.
3. Add the packed brown sugar and beat on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. You want it mostly smooth and lighter in color. If it seems a bit grainy, keep beating, it will mellow out.
4. Mix in the vanilla, cinnamon and the 1/4 tsp sea salt for about 30 seconds so the spices are evenly distributed.
5. Turn mixer to low and add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, so you dont make a sugar cloud. Start with 3 cups, then add up to the 4th cup if you want stiffer frosting.
6. Add 2 tbsp heavy cream or milk and increase speed to medium-high to whip things up. If frosting is too thick add more cream 1 tbsp at a time up to 4 tbsp; if too thin add a little more powdered sugar.
7. Beat for another 1 to 2 minutes until the frosting is light, fluffy and holds soft peaks. Don’t overbeat though or it can get too airy and collapse on a warm day.
8. Taste and adjust: add a pinch more cinnamon for warmth, or a tiny extra bit of salt to cut sweetness. If your brown sugar left it slightly grainy, a minute more of beating usually fixes it.
9. Use right away to spread on completely cooled cakes or cupcakes. Want to pipe? Pop it in the fridge for 10 to 20 minutes to firm up, then re-whip briefly before piping.
10. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months. To use after chilling, bring to room temp and re-whip until fluffy again.
Equipment Needed
1. Electric mixer (stand or hand) for creaming and whipping
2. Large mixing bowl
3. Rubber spatula for scraping the bowl and folding
4. Measuring cups and spoons (cup for butter/sugar, tsp for cinnamon/salt)
5. Sifter or fine mesh sieve for powdered sugar
6. Offset spatula or butter knife for spreading frosting
7. Piping bag and tip or a plastic bag with the corner snipped if you want to pipe
8. Cooling rack for completely cooled cakes and an airtight container for storing leftovers
FAQ
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Butter: swap with unsalted margarine at a 1 cup to 1 cup ratio. It creams the same but has a bit less buttery flavor. For dairy free use solid coconut oil 1 to 1, note it may add a faint coconut taste and the frosting firms up more when cool.
- Light brown sugar: if you dont have it mix 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon molasses to make 1 cup light brown sugar. Or just use dark brown sugar for a richer molasses flavor.
- Powdered sugar: make a quick substitute by blitzing 1 cup granulated sugar with 1 tablespoon cornstarch in a blender or food processor until fine, then sift. Works in a pinch but sift well so frosting stays smooth.
- Heavy cream or whole milk: approximate heavy cream by stirring 3 parts whole milk with 1 part melted butter (for example 3/4 cup milk + 1/4 cup melted butter equals about 1 cup cream). Evaporated milk also works for a slightly richer texture.
Pro Tips
– Warm and smooth the brown sugar first. If it’s clumpy pop it in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds wrapped in a damp paper towel, or pulse it a few quick bursts in a food processor, then beat longer so the sugar fully dissolves into the butter. If you skip this you’ll get grit and nobody likes that.
– Keep the powdered sugar from becoming a cloud. Add it slowly on low, and drape a clean kitchen towel over the bowl while you pour, or use the mixer’s splash guard if you got one. Go slow, scrape the sides, and you’ll save a bunch of cleanup later.
– Fix texture without wrecking flavor. If the frosting is too loose, chill it 10 to 20 minutes and then re-whip; if it’s too stiff add cream 1 tablespoon at a time until it’s spreadable. If it still feels grainy, beat it a bit longer at medium-high so the brown sugar softens, or stir in a teaspoon of hot water then whip, but be careful not to over-thin it.
– Want more depth and less sweetness? Brown the butter for a minute or two, let it cool until it’s soft but not solid, then use it for a richer, nuttier flavor. A tiny pinch more salt or a pinch of instant espresso powder will make the cinnamon pop, but add those slowly, taste, and stop when it’s right.
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting Recipe
I perfected a Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting in 10 minutes that I now reach for when I bake fall cakes and cupcakes, and it's the Brown Sugar Frosting everyone asks about at Thanksgiving.
12
servings
399
kcal
Equipment: 1. Electric mixer (stand or hand) for creaming and whipping
2. Large mixing bowl
3. Rubber spatula for scraping the bowl and folding
4. Measuring cups and spoons (cup for butter/sugar, tsp for cinnamon/salt)
5. Sifter or fine mesh sieve for powdered sugar
6. Offset spatula or butter knife for spreading frosting
7. Piping bag and tip or a plastic bag with the corner snipped if you want to pipe
8. Cooling rack for completely cooled cakes and an airtight container for storing leftovers
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened to room temp
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar (firmly packed)
3 to 4 cups powdered sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 to 4 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
Directions
- Gather everything: 1 cup (2 sticks) softened unsalted butter, 1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar, 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar (sift if lumpy), 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon, 1 tsp pure vanilla, 2 to 4 tbsp heavy cream or whole milk, and 1/4 tsp fine sea salt. Let butter warm to room temp so it creams easy.
- In a large bowl beat the butter on medium for 1 to 2 minutes until creamy and pale, scraping the bowl once or twice.
- Add the packed brown sugar and beat on medium-high for 2 to 3 minutes. You want it mostly smooth and lighter in color. If it seems a bit grainy, keep beating, it will mellow out.
- Mix in the vanilla, cinnamon and the 1/4 tsp sea salt for about 30 seconds so the spices are evenly distributed.
- Turn mixer to low and add powdered sugar 1 cup at a time, so you dont make a sugar cloud. Start with 3 cups, then add up to the 4th cup if you want stiffer frosting.
- Add 2 tbsp heavy cream or milk and increase speed to medium-high to whip things up. If frosting is too thick add more cream 1 tbsp at a time up to 4 tbsp; if too thin add a little more powdered sugar.
- Beat for another 1 to 2 minutes until the frosting is light, fluffy and holds soft peaks. Don’t overbeat though or it can get too airy and collapse on a warm day.
- Taste and adjust: add a pinch more cinnamon for warmth, or a tiny extra bit of salt to cut sweetness. If your brown sugar left it slightly grainy, a minute more of beating usually fixes it.
- Use right away to spread on completely cooled cakes or cupcakes. Want to pipe? Pop it in the fridge for 10 to 20 minutes to firm up, then re-whip briefly before piping.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 1 week or freeze up to 3 months. To use after chilling, bring to room temp and re-whip until fluffy again.
Notes
- Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.
Nutrition Facts
- Serving Size: 86g
- Total number of serves: 12
- Calories: 399kcal
- Fat: 16.6g
- Saturated Fat: 10.4g
- Trans Fat: 0.67g
- Polyunsaturated: 0.67g
- Monounsaturated: 4.3g
- Cholesterol: 44.6mg
- Sodium: 52mg
- Potassium: 30mg
- Carbohydrates: 62.9g
- Fiber: 0.2g
- Sugar: 62.5g
- Protein: 0.2g
- Vitamin A: 491IU
- Vitamin C: 0mg
- Calcium: 9mg
- Iron: 0.08mg
