A quick, easy and delicious frosting bursting with brown sugar flavor.
This brown sugar frosting is AMAZING.
I was trying to make a cake recipe the other night called "Amish Preacher Cake". It's a brown sugar heavy cake and I thought it sounded good. The cake flopped and I suspect the Amish cook whom gave me the recipe inadvertently left out an ingredient. I'm suspecting maybe baking powder...
Since there wasn't any baking soda or powder in the recipe and the cake came out kind of fudgey and flat. I may try it again sometime and report back!
Frosting or Icing?
But the icing that went on it? Yuuummm, too good not to share!
In fact, Rachel scraped some of the frosting off the cake to put on graham crackers because the frosting was too good to go to waste. I ended up eating some of the cake, not because it was any good, it tasted pretty awful, but just to use as a delivery method for the wonderful frosting. The icing (SIGH, I never know whether to call this stuff frosting or icing) was so good that I was willing to put with awful cake.
You can make this frosting/icing look better by using sifted confectioners sugar. I did not so there were "clumps" in the icing. If you are like me and don't care about such clumps, just use regular ol' confectioners sugar.
The secret is in the stir!
I think the secret is to just keep stirring the butter and brown sugar constantly so nothing burns and then remove from the heat as soon as it begins boiling. I also suggest using a deep kettle. There's nothing worse tasting than scorched brown sugar, but there are few things better than a perfectly combined brown sugar frosting. Enjoy!
🥚 Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 cups sifted confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
📋 Instructions
- In a deep, large kettle melt the butter over high heat until it just starts to boil.
- Add the brown sugar.
- Bring to a boil and lower heat to medium and continue to boil for 2 minutes.
- Don't boil longer than two minutes and be sure to stir constantly while it is boiling.
- Add the milk and splash of vanilla and return to a boil, stirring constantly.
- As soon as it begins to boil, remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.
- Gradually add confectioners' sugar.
- Stir with a wooden spoon until thick and spreadable.
🍰 Suggested Cakes
Pick a few cakes recipes on your site to link to the icing/frosting would be good on!
Delicious brown butter cake smeared with this brown butter icing might be too much butter for our calorie counters -- but boy would it taste divine together!
Delicious brown butter cake smeared with this brown butter icing might be too much butter for our calorie counters -- but boy would it taste divine together!
📖 Full Recipe
Best-Ever Brown Sugar Icing
Ingredients
- ½ cup unsalted butter
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- ¼ cup milk
- 2 cup sifted confectioners' sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla
Instructions
- In a deep, large kettle melt the butter over high heat until it just starts to boil.
- Add the brown sugar.
- Bring to a boil and lower heat to medium and continue to boil for 2 minutes.
- Don't boil longer than two minutes and stir constantly while it is boiling.
- Add the milk and splash of vanilla and return to a boil, stirring constantly.
- As soon as it begins to boil, remove from heat and cool to lukewarm.
- Gradually add confectioners' sugar.
- Stir with a wooden spoon until thick and spreadable.
Susan Floyd Fletcher
If you use self rising flour, you don't use baking powder or salt. So, maybe, you were supposed to use self rising flour. If you use plain flour, you need to add salt and baking powder.
Kevin
Good points, Susan...maybe I just should have used some SRF
Bonnie Pavel
Does this taste like caramel frosting? It sounds like it might. I think I would like it on a spice cake.
Kevin
Yes, Bonnie, it tastes a bit caramely....would be wonderful on a spice cake!
Paul Berggren
Actually, it is amazing on spice cake!
Kevin Williams
I bet it would be great on spice cake!
Carla Graf
Is this the recipe you tried?
AMISH PREACHER CAKE
1 c. brown sugar
1 c. sugar
1/2 c. shortening
2 eggs
2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 c. cocoa
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 c. sour milk
1 c. boiling water
1 tsp. vanilla
Cream together brown sugar, sugar and shortening. Add beaten eggs. Sift remaining dry ingredients together. Add to creamed mixture alternately with sour milk, beating well after each addition. Add boiling water and vanilla. Pour into greased and floured 8" x 13" pan or two 9" round layers. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 to 35 minutes
Kevin Williams
That is very similar to what I tried, thanks for sharing, I will have to try this version!
Susan
This icing/frosting is excellent on Cinnamon rolls as well! 🙂
Kevin
Yum, good idea, Susan!
Candice
Followed recipe and instructions exactly, and it did not turn out anything like the photos. It was very dry for some reason. Looked back over the ingredients and directions several times to be sure I hadn’t done something wrong.
Kevin Williams
i am sorry, Candice....I love this recipe, how exactly did yours turn out? That might help me determine what went wrong.
Kentuckylady717
Proud of you Kevin, watching what you ate and your cokes too......that really takes will power and you did it 🙂
I agree with Susan, when you bake a cake you need something in it to make it rise.....I bet you will make sure the next time eh ?
Next time just buy a box of Duncan Hines cake mix and make the homemade icing.....that is what I do....and to me no homemade cake taste as good as Duncan Hines.....in my opinion.....
and way less trouble to bake, and probably cheaper......99 box, when on sale....and I bet the spice cake would be good with that icing on it too....
I never buy store icing in a can or whatever its' in, it taste horrible....I always make my own....usually a cream cheese with powdered sugar.....can't beat it......giving the icing you posted a 5* as it sounds delicious....
A. Klopfenstein
I have made this icing for years. I make mine in the microwave. You need to stir the butter and sugar often so it won't get a burnt taste.
Pam
Kevin, there's an extra dot on the ingredient list with nothing listed. Is there another ingredient that was suppose to be there?
Kevin
Good eye, Pam, I removed the dot...no missing ingredient, just a sloppy typist (me!)
Diane
Having trouble seeing the strawberry pudding recipe
Stacy
Spread it hot or let it cool?
Kevin
Yes, stacy, spread warm and let cool!
Jeanne Kiba
I used this on zuchinni cupcakes. Amazing!
Kevin Williams
Oh, that sounds great! I love the brown sugar frosting and love zucchini cupcakes, so sounds super!
Twila
Lemon cake with This icing is awesome
Kevin Williams
Interesting, brown sugar and lemon seems like an odd pairing, but I am glad you say it is an awesome combination, now I'll have to try it. Thanks for sharing!
Becky
It was still grainy not creamy but next time I’m going to do things a little different because I have a gas stove I think it was a little too hot for the milk and vanilla to go in. It said add them then bring to a boil again but as soon as I added them it was at a full boil so I had to remove it from heat right away. It only took a little bit of powdered sugar but it still tasted delicious just wasn’t creamy. Thank you though for sharing!
Kevin Williams
Thanks, Becky, for sharing your experience. It is a delicious recipe, it might have been too hot, as you said.
Lisa Bailey
Do you think this would go well with banana bread? 🤔
Kevin Williams
Agreed, let me know if you try it!
Shasta
My opinion would be that it definitely would be good on banana bread! What a great idea!
Kevin Williams
Brown sugar and banana is a super combo!