Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting

When I was planning on making Carrot Cupcakes, I knew the best frosting choice was cream cheese.  I've made a Buttercream frosting a while back, but cream cheese was new to me.  Since I was making these as a gift, I was making an upgraded version of carrot cake and didn't want to add plain ol' cream cheese frosting.  So, I took a look at a few recipes, and finally decided to up the ante and make a version with browned butter.



Fortunately, I found a recipe that had everything I needed.  This was my first attempt at a cream cheese frosting, as the only kind I'd used in the kitchen was the shelf-stable version my mom would pick up when I was younger.

In a small saucepan, I melted 1/2 cup of butter and continued simmering it until it began to brown.

I added the cream cheese to my stand mixing bowl and beat it until it was creamy, then added in the (slightly cooled) browned butter.

Once the mixture was well blended, I added powdered sugar and continued mixing. Then, I used a pastry bag and decorated the Carrot Cupcakes with it.

This cream cheese frosting was truly amazing.  The browned butter made the frosting very rich in flavor, and it reminded me of a buttercream frosting more than cream cheese. The plastic tub version of cream cheese can't even compare to a good, fresh frosting.  On the Carrot Cupcakes, I really had the perfect combination.  I'm thinking that next time I make a buttercream, I will have to use the browned butter technique again.  And who knows what else I could try it with!

Browned Butter Cream Cheese Frosting Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter
8 ounces cream cheese
2 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Instructions: 

Melt 1/2 cup of the butter in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until browned. In a stand mixing bowl, beat cream cheese and butter together with the whisk attachment until smooth. Add powdered sugar and vanilla extract and beat for about 30 seconds, until smooth and creamy.