Serves: 12 or more | Prep: 15 Min | Cook: 30 Min
This is not your typical caramel that is smooth and sticky like those you find in candy bars. This caramel is meant for icing. A heavy icing for cakes and cupcakes. It is a little crunchy on the outside but smooth and soft when you bite into it.
This caramel frosting is completely different from frosting. Many of us don’t know what is the difference between icing and frosting. This caramel falls in the icing category, it is hard and flat. While frosting is light and fluffy.
Want to save this recipe? Enter your email below and we’ll send the recipe straight to your inbox!
Ingredients
3 cups white granulated sugar
1 1/3 cups white whole milk
1 1/2 stick cold butter
5 tablespoons white granulated sugar
How to make Old-Timey Caramel Icing
Step 1: In a heavy saucepan, heat the 3 cups of sugar and milk on medium heat. Stir for a couple of minutes and continue to heat.
Step 2: Meanwhile, place 5 tablespoons of sugar in a small black iron skillet on medium to medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar turns into a liquid, then, golden brown. Be careful as it will be bubbling and hot.
Step 3: Check the milk and sugar. At this point, the mixture should be very hot so carefully pour in the browned sugar and whisk. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until the mixture reaches the softball stage. You can test it by dropping a bit off a spoon into s small glass of water. It is ready when a small softball forms.
Step 4: When the mixture reached the softball stage, remove the skillet from the heat. And with an electric mixer, mix in 1 1/2 sticks of cold butter. Make sure to use only cold butter, not margarine.
Step 5: Beat until cooled and the consistency is spreadable.
Step 6: If the consistency is too thick, you can beat in a tablespoon of milk at a time to make the consistency thin.
Step 7: Completely cool the cake before icing or else the heavy icing can cause the top of the cake to split. But it’ll still taste amazing!
Ingredients
- 3 cups white granulated sugar
- 1 1/3 cups white whole milk
- 1 1/2 stick cold butter
- 5 tablespoons white granulated sugar
Instructions
Step 1: In a heavy saucepan, heat the 3 cups of sugar and milk on medium heat. Stir for a couple of minutes and continue to heat.
Step 2: Meanwhile, place 5 tablespoons of sugar in a small black iron skillet on medium to medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar turns into a liquid, then, golden brown. Be careful as it will be bubbling and hot.
Step 3: Check the milk and sugar. At this point, the mixture should be very hot so carefully pour in the browned sugar and whisk. Continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until the mixture reaches the softball stage. You can test it by dropping a bit off a spoon into s small glass of water. It is ready when a small softball forms.
Step 4: When the mixture reached the softball stage, remove the skillet from the heat. And with an electric mixer, mix in 1 1/2 sticks of cold butter. Make sure to use only cold butter, not margarine.
Step 5: Beat until cooled and the consistency is spreadable.
Step 6: If the consistency is too thick, you can beat in a tablespoon of milk at a time to make the consistency thin.
Step 7: Completely cool the cake before icing or else the heavy icing can cause the top of the cake to split. But it'll still taste amazing!