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.

did you make this recipe?

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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 trick to buttercream frosting? ›

6 Secrets for Perfect Buttercream
  1. Use the right powdered sugar the right way. ...
  2. Beat, beat, beat the butter! ...
  3. You can use cream OR milk, just use the right amount. ...
  4. Adjust the sugar to your preference. ...
  5. Never add too much liquid to your buttercream. ...
  6. Prevent your buttercream from melting on a hot or humid day.
Jan 15, 2018

What is the formula for buttercream frosting? ›

Beat together butter, shortening, and vanilla with an electric mixer in a large bowl until creamy. Blend in confectioners' sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in milk; continue mixing until icing is light and fluffy. Store icing covered until ready to use.

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

But, there are ways to make it more interesting; one such way is to hit it with a shot of vinegar. Don't worry, the icing won't taste sour or like vinegar at all, but the acid will help balance out the sweetness, making it taste more pleasant. Even better, it will make the icing stronger and more durable.

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.

What is the hardest buttercream 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 are the 4 types of buttercream? ›

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

How thick should buttercream frosting be? ›

The frosting should form a somewhat stiff peak that has a little curl on the end. It's stiff enough to hold up that curl, but soft enough to create that little curl. That little curl is a great visual cue to know that your frosting is just the right consistency.

What are the three types of buttercream frosting? ›

But if you're keen to know the basic differences, here are a few!
  • American buttercream is sweeter than Swiss or Italian. It forms a “crust” when exposed to air – perfect for paining and piping on.
  • Swiss Meringue buttercream is silky smooth and light. ...
  • Italian Meringue buttercream is the least sweet of the three.
Feb 4, 2021

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.

How do you make frosting taste like bakery? ›

Whip the frosting with half a block of cream cheese and an extra cup of powdered sugar and a few drops of the appropriate flavoring extract. If you're using chocolate, add cocoa powder. If you want a richer buttery flavor add a few tablespoons of butter as well.

What frosting holds up best? ›

The Swiss buttercream (made with egg whites) stood longer than its egg yolk-based French counterpart, but it too drooped and melted. Finishing a sun-soaked time in the outdoors, the coconut oil, the butter-based American buttercream, the whipped cream, and the Italian meringue frostings are held up (more or less).

What is the most delicious buttercream? ›

1. Swiss Meringue Buttercream. This is the Queen of Frosting. Imagine the melt-in-mouth texture of ice cream, just at room temperature.

Why is my brown sugar frosting grainy? ›

Too much sugar or not enough liquid can cause the buttercream to break or become too gritty. Using room temperature or softened butter, can also help create a smoother texture.

Should you chill buttercream frosting before piping? ›

If you've made your buttercream and it's on the firm side, you can always add a couple of tablespoons of cooled boiled water to soften the consistency and make it easier to spread. Chill buttercream that is too soft for 15-20mins to achieve a firmer consistency.

Can you overbeat buttercream? ›

Yes, this is absolutely correct. The longer you beat, the more air you incorporate in your buttercream, thus, it will have lots of holes or air-pockets, it will also make the colour lighter. If you will use your buttercream primarily for filling or maybe as simple swirls, then this is ok.

How do you keep buttercream from melting when piping? ›

Chill your cake first, apply the crumb coat, chill again and then frost it. If you are then piping design work, chill it again before adding the details. Keep the icing in the refrigerator when not using it, and only add cold icing to your piping bag.

Should buttercream be cold before frosting? ›

Buttercream frosting can be made up to two weeks ahead and stored in the refrigerator. Just make sure you bring it to room temperature before frosting your cake.

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