This floofy brown butter cream cheese frosting is mind-bendingly delicious. Vanilla bean brown butter adds notes of caramel, hazelnut, and butterscotch while tangy creamy cheese and a good hit of salt keep it balanced. Spread or pipe this ultra-addictive icing over gluten-free pumpkin cake – if you can resist nomming it straight from the bowl.
Prep time: PT10M
Cook time: PT5M
Total time: PT15M
5 stars (2 reviews)
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- In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the butter with the vanilla pod and scrapings. A light-colored pot will make it easier to track the progress of the browning butter.
- Set the pot over medium-low heat, swirling occasionally. After 3–5 minutes, the butter will foam up, then turn golden and smell nutty with deep brown specks on the bottom of the pot. Watch it closely at this point so it doesn’t burn, reducing the heat if need be. It should register about 250ºF on an instant-read thermometer.
- Immediately pour the butter into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking, scraping the pan and adding in any brown butter bits. Remove the vanilla bean and discard, or reserve for another use. Let the butter cool to room temperature, 1-2 hours; it should be the consistency of mayonnaise. To speed this up, pop it in the fridge and stir every few minutes.
- When the butter has cooled, beat the softened cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl and the paddle a few times.
- Add the cooled brown butter and beat on medium-low speed until smooth and combined, 1-2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl and paddle as needed.
- Sift the powdered sugar into the cream cheese mixture and add the salt. Beat the frosting on low speed to combine, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
- Use the frosting right away, or store refrigerated airtight for up to 1 week. If chilled, let soften to room temperature before using.