Here is one that I found...there are quite a few hits if you search "salted caramel frosting" on Google.
http://www.chow.com/recipes/12100-salted-caramel-frosting
I just make caramel sauce and add it to vanilla buttercream. If I'm doing cupcakes I sometimes mix a little buttercream or cream cheese frosting in with the caramel and then scoop alternate scoops of buttercream/caramel, giving a nice swirl effect:
Here's a caramel sauce recipe: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/caramel_sauce/
Thanks! I also found one here: http://cupcakeblog.com/?p=91. I agree Jennywenny - that cupcake looks delicious!!
Would this icing hold up to fondant and gumpaste decorations? From some of the things I read about this icing is that it gets soft if left out and I always thought that fondant couldn't go in the fridge. I am in un-chartered waters here! If I did the salted caramel icing in-between layers and buttercream on the outside would it taste ok?
Thanks for the feedback!
This particular cake has a cream cheese buttercream, I always add my decorations right before serving, otherwise they melt into the frosting. If it is regular buttercream you may have more luck.
I usually add a bit of salt into the actual caramel. Sprinkling salt onto cold buttercream will just dissolve, I think
I use SMBC with caramel added for flavorings. You can really add alot of caramel and it will hold together. I then add a little sea salt sprinkles on top. The crunch of the salt with the caramel and chocolate -- YUMMMMMM. One of my most requested flavors.
I agree with Ronbob on adding caramel and salt to SMBC. If you're one of those that don't care for SMBC because it's like whipped butter, this will add quite a bit of sweetness to it and tone the butteriness down. Super YUMMY! Of course you could add it to regular BC too but it would be pretty sweet! Just depends on what you're going for.
So make a simple beginner's caramel. I don't know the exact recipe because I never measure it but I think this ratio is right...1 cup sugar, 1/4 cup water, 1 tablespoon of corn syrup cooked to a medium amber slowly over medium flame in a deep heavy bottomed pan.
A little caramel 101 - crystallization can happen when you're making caramel if some of the undissolved sugar from the sides gets into the cooked caramel. The whole pan will seize up and you'll need to start over. The corn syrup is there to help prevent the caramel from crystallizing on you but initially you only want to stir the mixture until the sugar melts then let it boil WITHOUT stirring or it may still crystallize on you. You can use a wet pastry brush to "wash" the sides of the pan as it's coming to a boil to help prevent it too. Swirl the pan gently if you must to even out the cooking as it gets close to being done.
Once you've achieved the right color (the darker the amber color the more deep the flavor, but too dark=burnt) Remove from heat and deglaze with a little cream (maybe 1/3 cup). Be super careful here that you don't burn yourself! It will really bubble up a lot and can cause steam burns so just be aware. It's always a good idea to have some cold water handy when you're working with cooked sugar. If any gets on you or you get a steam burn put your whole hand in cold water immediately to stop the burning.
Let the bubbles calm down a bit and stir with a wooden spoon until smooth. If it seems a little thick you can add a bit more cream to it but you don't want it so thin that it will thin your BC. This will made a creamy caramel sauce. You could add quite a bit of this to SMBC once it cools completely to get it as caramel flavored as you like. For the salt I prefer finely ground Fleur de Sel or sea salt. Stay away from regular iodized as it's too salty and has a chemical aftertaste. You can either add a bit of salt to the icing to taste or sprinkle it on top of the frosting. The hallmark of "salted caramel" anything is that tiny bit of salt on top though. Hmmm, need to find an excuse to make this now
Sorry for the novel...that afternoon coffee does it everytime! HTH!
Tammy
Wow, just reread my post and I really made it seem like a HUGE pain to make! It's really not and once you've made it you'll feel like a culinary genius. Plus it's waaay cheaper and better tasting than buying caramel sauce
IF you happen to have any leftover (never an issue here!) you can drown some ice cream, apple pie or bread pudding in it for a little bit of heaven!
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