Recipes 3 min read
Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting Recipe — Rich Spiced Icing
Silky smooth icing is lovely, but this Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting features crunchy brown sugar crystals throughout, giving it the warm, nostalgic flavor of snickerdoodle cookies. It’s wonderful on my Snickerdoodle Cake, as well as on white or carrot cakes for an indulgent twist.
What makes a cake irresistible? For many, it’s the frosting. My husband usually shaves frosting off cakes and eats the cake by itself — mostly — but this particular buttercream is one of the few he devours with enthusiasm. This Brown Sugar Cinnamon Buttercream Frosting is rich, aromatic, and textured with tiny crunchy bits of brown sugar that recall a snickerdoodle cookie in every bite.
This recipe yields a generous amount: enough to lavishly frost a large layer cake, cover two batches of cupcakes, or top a tray of cookies and still leave a few spoonfuls for sneaking. If you’re making the full Snickerdoodle Cake, keep the recipe as written; for smaller projects like a single-layer cake, cupcakes, or cookies, halving the recipe will usually be plenty. And honestly, having extra buttercream on hand is rarely a problem.
Cook’s Notes:
- This recipe makes a large batch. Consider halving it for smaller projects, though leftovers keep well and are welcome in my kitchen.
- The recipe lists a range for confectioner’s sugar because buttercream consistency is personal. Use closer to 8 cups for a softer, easier-to-spread frosting; use closer to 9 cups for a thicker, more pipeable texture.
- If half-and-half isn’t available where you are, mix equal parts light cream and whole milk as a substitute.
Brown Sugar Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Rebecca Lindamood
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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:
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Beat the butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon together until fluffy and pale.
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Add 6 cups of the confectioner’s sugar and the vanilla. Start beating on low, then increase to high until fully incorporated.
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Scrape down the bowl and add the half-and-half. Beat again to combine.
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Add another 2 cups of confectioner’s sugar and beat, starting low and finishing on high, until incorporated. Check the consistency: if you want a thicker buttercream, add the remaining confectioner’s sugar; if it’s too thick, add half-and-half a teaspoon at a time until desired texture is reached. Store any unused buttercream refrigerated for up to a week.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate provided as a courtesy. Calculate nutrition using your actual ingredients and preferred calculator for precise results.
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