I’m excited to share my Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting, a simple Brown Sugar Frosting I rely on for fall cakes and cupcakes that comes together in about ten minutes and always sparks questions at Thanksgiving bake sales.
Ingredients
- Rich source of fats and some vitamin A; adds creamy texture and mellow, buttery sweetness.
- Mostly sucrose with molasses trace minerals; brings deep caramel sweetness and a bit of moisture.
- Its finely ground sugar with starch; adds body and intense sweetness, little nutritional value.
- Low in calories, has antioxidants and warm spicy flavor; lifts sweetness, adds aromatic depth.
- Its tiny amount mostly flavor not nutrition; rounds sharp sweetness, gives warm vanilla notes.
- Adds fat for silky mouthfeel and smooth spreadability; milk adds slight dairy sweetness.
- Just a pinch balances and brightens flavors, minimal sodium per pinch, not much nutrition.
Ingredient Quantities
- 1 cup (2 sticks, 227 g) unsalted butter, softened, room temp
- 1 cup packed light brown sugar (about 200 g)
- 3 to 4 cups powdered sugar (confectioners sugar), about 360 to 480 g
- 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 (optional)
How to Make this
1. Make sure your butter is really soft, room temp, and cut into cubes so it creams easy. Measure: 1 cup (2 sticks, 227 g) unsalted butter and 1 cup packed light brown sugar (about 200 g).
2. Put butter and packed brown sugar in a bowl, beat on medium-high with a stand mixer or hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape the sides once or twice, don’t skip that.
3. Add 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (optional). Beat just until combined, you want it even but not overworked.
4. Turn mixer to low and add powdered sugar a cup at a time: start with 3 cups (about 360 g). Adding it slow cuts down on sugar clouds and makes a smoother frosting.
5. While mixing, pour in 2 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk in small splashes. If it feels too thick, add up to 2 more tablespoons until you get the consistency you want.
6. If the frosting is still thin, add more powdered sugar, up to a total of 4 cups (about 480 g). If too stiff, add 1 teaspoon of cream or milk at a time. Taste and tweak cinnamon or salt if needed.
7. Scrape the bowl well, then beat on medium-high for 20 to 30 seconds to make it extra fluffy and smooth. Don’t overbeat for more than a minute or it can get too soft.
8. Use right away to spread or pipe onto cakes and cupcakes. If you need it firmer for piping, chill in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes then re-whip briefly. If it firms up too much, let sit at room temp a few minutes or beat in 1 teaspoon cream to loosen.
9. Hacks and storage: if your brown sugar is hard, microwave it with a damp paper towel for 10 seconds to soften, then pack. Sift powdered sugar for no lumps. Store leftover frosting in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days, or freeze up to 3 months; bring to room temp and re-whip before using.
Equipment Needed
1. Stand mixer or a hand mixer with the paddle attachment
2. Large mixing bowl for creaming the butter and sugar
3. Rubber spatula for scraping the sides real good
4. Measuring cups and spoons plus a digital kitchen scale (for accuracy)
5. Fine mesh sieve or sifter for powdered sugar
6. Offset spatula or butter knife for spreading smooth on cakes or cupcakes
7. Piping bag and round tip if you wanna pipe decorations
8. Microwave-safe bowl or a damp paper towel for softening hard brown sugar
9. Airtight container for storing leftover frosting in the fridge or freezer
FAQ
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting Recipe Substitutions and Variations
- Unsalted butter: use 1 cup vegetable shortening for similar structure, or 1 cup solid coconut oil (will add a faint coconut note), or swap with salted butter but skip any added salt.
- Light brown sugar: swap 1:1 with dark brown sugar for deeper molasses flavor, or make your own by mixing 1 cup granulated sugar + 1 tbsp molasses, or use coconut sugar 1:1 (flavor & color will change).
- Powdered sugar: if you dont have it, blitz granulated sugar with 1 tbsp cornstarch per cup in a high speed blender until powdery, or use store bought icing sugar equivalent.
- Heavy cream or whole milk: use half and half or whole milk for thinning (less rich), or for extra tang replace some cream with 2 tbsp cream cheese (softened) but expect a denser, tangy frosting.
Pro Tips
1) Make sure the butter is truly at room temp: it should give a little when pressed but not feel greasy. If it is too cold you get lumps, too warm and the frosting will be floppy.
2) Sift the powdered sugar and add it slowly on low speed to avoid a powdered sugar cloud and to keep the texture silky. If you need to speed things up, use the paddle attachment and scrape the bowl often.
3) Use the dairy to control texture in very small increments. Add tiny splashes of cream or milk until you reach the feel you want, then finish with a short burst of whipping to lighten it. If piping, chill 15 to 30 minutes and rewhip briefly so it holds shape.
4) Taste and balance: a pinch of fine salt brightens the brown sugar and cinnamon, and letting the frosting rest for 10 to 20 minutes helps the cinnamon meld so you can better decide if it needs more spice. Store airtight in the fridge up to five days and rewhip after it warms to room temp.
Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting Recipe
I'm excited to share my Cinnamon Brown Sugar Frosting, a simple Brown Sugar Frosting I rely on for fall cakes and cupcakes that comes together in about ten minutes and always sparks questions at Thanksgiving bake sales.
24
servings
182
kcal
Equipment: 1. Stand mixer or a hand mixer with the paddle attachment
2. Large mixing bowl for creaming the butter and sugar
3. Rubber spatula for scraping the sides real good
4. Measuring cups and spoons plus a digital kitchen scale (for accuracy)
5. Fine mesh sieve or sifter for powdered sugar
6. Offset spatula or butter knife for spreading smooth on cakes or cupcakes
7. Piping bag and round tip if you wanna pipe decorations
8. Microwave-safe bowl or a damp paper towel for softening hard brown sugar
9. Airtight container for storing leftover frosting in the fridge or freezer
Ingredients
-
1 cup (2 sticks, 227 g) unsalted butter, softened, room temp
-
1 cup packed light brown sugar (about 200 g)
-
3 to 4 cups powdered sugar (confectioners sugar), about 360 to 480 g
-
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 (optional)
Directions
- Make sure your butter is really soft, room temp, and cut into cubes so it creams easy. Measure: 1 cup (2 sticks, 227 g) unsalted butter and 1 cup packed light brown sugar (about 200 g).
- Put butter and packed brown sugar in a bowl, beat on medium-high with a stand mixer or hand mixer until light and fluffy, about 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape the sides once or twice, don't skip that.
- Add 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract and 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt (optional). Beat just until combined, you want it even but not overworked.
- Turn mixer to low and add powdered sugar a cup at a time: start with 3 cups (about 360 g). Adding it slow cuts down on sugar clouds and makes a smoother frosting.
- While mixing, pour in 2 tablespoons heavy cream or whole milk in small splashes. If it feels too thick, add up to 2 more tablespoons until you get the consistency you want.
- If the frosting is still thin, add more powdered sugar, up to a total of 4 cups (about 480 g). If too stiff, add 1 teaspoon of cream or milk at a time. Taste and tweak cinnamon or salt if needed.
- Scrape the bowl well, then beat on medium-high for 20 to 30 seconds to make it extra fluffy and smooth. Don't overbeat for more than a minute or it can get too soft.
- Use right away to spread or pipe onto cakes and cupcakes. If you need it firmer for piping, chill in the fridge for 15 to 30 minutes then re-whip briefly. If it firms up too much, let sit at room temp a few minutes or beat in 1 teaspoon cream to loosen.
- Hacks and storage: if your brown sugar is hard, microwave it with a damp paper towel for 10 seconds to soften, then pack. Sift powdered sugar for no lumps. Store leftover frosting in an airtight container in the fridge up to 5 days, or freeze up to 3 months; bring to room temp and re-whip before using.
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: 39g
- Total number of serves: 24
- Calories: 182kcal
- Fat: 8.1g
- Saturated Fat: 5.1g
- Trans Fat: 0.05g
- Polyunsaturated: 0.29g
- Monounsaturated: 2.01g
- Cholesterol: 21.5mg
- Sodium: 40mg
- Potassium: 3mg
- Carbohydrates: 28.5g
- Fiber: 0g
- Sugar: 28.3g
- Protein: 0.1g
- Vitamin A: 200IU
- Vitamin C: 0mg
- Calcium: 2mg
- Iron: 0.02mg
