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Brown Butter Brown Sugar Cupcakes

September 17, 2020 by Natalie 6 Comments

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This recipe for Brown Butter Brown Sugar Cupcakes is so simple to make! These irresistible cupcakes are topped with delicious brown sugar cream cheese frosting.

A brown sugar cupcake with icing swirled on top sprinkled with brown sugar.

As you can tell by the name of these Brown Butter Brown Sugar Cupcakes, they are literally full of flavor! Texture-wise, these cupcakes are moist and tender and the icing is ultra creamy!

KEY INGREDIENTS

  • Brown butter
  • Brown Sugar
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Cinnamon
  • Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
Brown butter cupcakes with icing piped on top next to a bowl of brown sugar.

EASY TO MAKE

In addition to being SO GOOD, these cupcakes are also easy to make. The cupcake batter does not require a mixer and they bake up in twenty minutes or less!

HOW TO MAKE BROWN BUTTER BROWN SUGAR CUPCAKES

  1. BROWN THE BUTTER. SET ASIDE TO COOL.
  2. LINE THE CUPCAKE TIN AND PREHEAT THE OVEN.
  3. WHISK TO COMBINE THE DRY INGREDIENTS IN A LARGE BOWL.
  4. IN A MEDIUM BOWL, MIX TOGETHER THE WET INGREDIENTS.
  5. STIR IN HALF THE WET INGREDIENTS INTO THE DRY. MIX IN THE REST OF THE WET INGREDIENTS AND STIR UNTIL JUST COMBINED.
  6. BAKE 16-18 MINUTES. COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE FROSTING.
  7. MAKE THE BROWN SUGAR CREAM CHEESE ICING AND FROST. ENJOY!

BAKING WITH BROWN BUTTER

Browning the butter only takes minutes but adds such a nice toasty, nutty flavor. It gives butter more depth of flavor.

If you’ve never made brown butter before, I recommend watching this How to Make Brown Butter video from Simply Recipes.

WHAT CAN I DO WITH BROWN BUTTER?

You’ll want to add brown butter to baked goods often since it’s so delicious! I love using it for cookies such as these yummy Brown Butter Chocolate Toffee Cookies and these classic Brown Butter Chocolate Cookies.

Brownie lovers should definitely try these indulgent Brown Butter Brownies. I even snuck some brown butter into these Chocolate Chip Rice Krispie Treats….you have to melt the butter anyway so I figured why not take it a step further and brown it for all that toasty, nutty flavor!

A brown sugar cupcake on a cooling rack with a bowl of brown sugar behind it.

HOW TO MAKE BROWN BUTTER FOR BROWN BUTTER FOR THESE CUPCAKES

  1. Slice your butter into tablespoon sized pieces and add it to a skillet over medium heat. It’s better to use a light colored skillet so that you can best see the color of the butter as it cooks. Stir occasionally at first.
  2. After about a minute, the butter will have melted and will start to come to a boil and start to sputter and bubble. At this point, you’re going to want to whisk it constantly.
  3. You’ll be stirring the sputtering butter for 4-5 minutes. Turn the heat down a little if the sputtering gets a bit out of control during this time.
  4. After the sputtering, you’ll notice the butter start to foam. As you whisk, you’ll start to see little bits (milk solids) at the bottom of the pot. When those bits become light brown and the butter begins changing color, remove the pan from heat and continue whisking for another minute.
  5. Once your butter has turned to a light caramel color, pour it, along with all its flavorful bits, into a heat safe bowl to stop the cooking.

Leave the butter to cool at room temperature. Begin assembling the dry ingredients and lining your cupcake tin. When the butter is no longer hot to the touch, you can use it in the recipe.

PLain brown butter cupcakes cooling on a rack.

BROWN SUGAR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

I first made this brown sugar cream cheese icing for my super yummy Pumpkin Carrot Cake recipe. It has the creamy, fresh taste of cream cheese icing but the brown sugar adds a subtle, delicious caramel flavor!

Use either light or dark brown sugar for the icing. I used light brown sugar because I wanted my icing to be lighter so it would contrast nicely with the cupcakes. That said, making it with dark brown sugar adds a bit more flavor since it has more molasses in it. So…light or dark brown sugar….both are yummy options!

A pretty batch of cupcakes with brown sugar and a cinnamon stick nearby.

HOW TO MAKE BROWN SUGAR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

  1. USE ROOM TEMPERATURE INGREDIENTS: It’s essential to use room temperature cream cheese and butter. I recommend taking these ingredients out for at least an hour before making the icing.
  2. SIFT THE POWDERED SUGAR: Even though it’s going to go into a mixer, I highly recommend sifting it first. It only takes a minute and makes sure you don’t have any little bumps of powdered sugar in your icing.
  3. USE FRESH BROWN SUGAR: Brown sugar can get hard lumps if it’s not fresh which will make the sugar harder to dissolve into the icing.
  4. SCRAPE DOWN THE SIDES OF THE BOWL: I do this with any icing I make, but it’s especially helpful with this recipe to make sure the flavors are combined and that the brown sugar has dissolved.
  5. ADD MORE POWDERED SUGAR, TO ACHIEVE PERFECT CONSISTENCY: If you find you want the icing to be a bit thicker, add more sifted powdered sugar, a bit at a time.
  6. ALLOW THE CUPCAKES TO COOL COMPLETELY BEFORE ICING IT: I know it’s tempting to want to dig in ASAP, but wait til your cupcakes have cooled completely before icing it. The icing could melt a bit and become a little runny if the cupcakes are still warm.
A brown cupcake topped with cream cheese icing with a bite taken out of it.

HOW TO FROST THESE BROWN SUGAR SUPCAKES

I piped the frosting on for these cupcakes and actually experimented with two different piping tips. My favorite of the two was the tall swirl which I created with the Wilton 1M. For the simpler look, I used my Ateco 808.

If you don’t have those piping tips, here are a few suggestions on how to frost your cupcakes:

  • Use an Ice Cream Scoop: Definitely the easiest method and it gives you a modern looking cupcake.
  • Use a Knife or Offset Spatula: This is also super simple and gives your cupcakes a sweet, simple look.

TOP WITH A SPRINKLE OF BROWN SUGAR

I used light brown sugar in my icing and sprinkled dark brown sugar on top. It’s best to do this right after frosting and before it sets so it sticks. The little sprinkle of sugar just adds a little sparkle and hints at the flavor of both the icing and the cupcakes!

SERVING AND STORING THESE CUPCAKES

These Brown Butter Brown Sugar Cupcakes are best served at room temperature, the same day they’re made. To store the cupcakes, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days.

Brown butter cupcakes with a thick cream cheese icing on top!
A cinnamon brown sugar cupcake sliced in half and topped with icing.
A brown cupcake with white icing cut in half with brown sugar nearby.
A cupcake with cream colored icing piped in a swirl on top.

Buttery, brown sugar flavored with sweet and warm hints of vanilla and cinnamon and generously topped with a must try brown sugar icing. Enjoy these Brown Butter Brown Sugar Cupcakes for dessert or just as a sweet treat for anytime of the day.

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Brown Butter Brown Sugar Cupcakes

★★★★★ 5 from 1 reviews
  • Author: Natalie
  • Prep Time: 25 minutes
  • Cook Time: 20 minutes
  • Total Time: 45 minutes
  • Yield: 12 cupcakes
  • Category: Cupcakes
  • Method: Baking
  • Cuisine: American
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Description

These Brown Butter Brown Sugar Cupcakes are super soft and delicious. They’re made with an easy recipe and are topped with a delicious brown sugar cream cheese frosting. 


Ingredients

Units

FOR THE CUPCAKES

  • 1/2 cup unsalted butter, browned and cooled at room temperature
  • 1 tablespoon oil, canola or vegetable
  • 1 cup brown sugar, light or dark, lightly packed
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla
  • 1 egg
  • 1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon sour cream
  • 1/2 cup milk
  • 1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
  • 1/4 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 /2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

FOR THE BROWN SUGAR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

  • 4 1/2 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (leave it at room temperature for at least an hour before making)
  • 3 tablespoons butter, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark
  • 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted, plus more if needed
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Instructions

FOR THE BROWN BUTTER

  1. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir occasionally at first. Once begins to bubble and comes to a boil, stir it constantly. It will start to foam. Continue stirring as you watch for it to turn a light, amber color and develop a nutty smell which should happen in about five minutes. Pour the brown butter into a heat safe bowl, making sure the scrape the bottom of the pan for all the bits. Set the butter aside and use when cool to the touch. In the meantime, continue with the recipe. 

FOR THE BROWN SUGAR CUPCAKES

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line cupcake tin with liners.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk the sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together and set aside.
  3. In a medium bowl, mix together the egg, cooled brown butter, oil, vanilla, sour cream and milk.
  4. Stir in half of the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients. Mix in the other half of the wet ingredients, stirring until just combined
  5. Fill each cupcake liner with 1/4 cup of batter. Bake 16-18 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of a cupcake. Allow cupcakes to cool completely before frosting.

FOR THE BROWN SUGAR CREAM CHEESE FROSTING

  1. In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese and butter on medium speed for one minute until creamed and combined. Add the brown sugar and mix on medium for another minute. Mix in the vanilla then turn the mixer on low and gradually mix in the powdered sugar. Pipe icing onto cupcakes and sprinkle with brown sugar, if desired. 

Keywords: ,Brown Sugar, Cupcakes, Brown Sugar, Cream Cheese, Icing, fall, cinnamon, brown sugar cupcakes

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Comments

  1. Barbara Briggs Ward

    October 02, 2020 at 12:37 am

    Brown is my favorite color. Now it will be my favorite Yummy Flavor!

    ★★★★★

    Reply
    • Natalie

      October 15, 2020 at 5:16 pm

      Hard to beat the flavors of brown butter and brown sugar! These cupcakes must be meant for you!

      Reply
  2. Manal

    October 21, 2021 at 8:53 am

    This recipe was easy to follow. The cupcakes are delectable especially the frosting is by far one of the best cream cheese frosting I have come across.

    Reply
    • Natalie

      October 23, 2021 at 7:49 pm

      Hi Manal! Thank you so much for making these cupcakes! I’m so happy you enjoyed them and appreciate your taking the time to write a comment! 🙂 xx Natalie

      Reply
  3. Kelly

    April 06, 2022 at 8:24 am

    The first time I made these they were delicious! The second time I made them they were not good, and it’s because the recipe calculator above the recipe that allows you to 2x or 3x the recipe messes up the amount of sugar! It says 1.5 cups for the 3x recipe when the 1x originally says 1 cup
    Might want to fix it! For now I’ll just make sure I mentally 3x the recipe

    Reply
    • Natalie

      April 06, 2022 at 9:20 am

      Hi Kelly! I’m so sorry to hear about that recipe calculator messing up the amounts. I just sent a tech support email to hopefully get that fixed ASAP. I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe though and thanks so much for bringing this to my attention. Have a great day 🙂 Natalie

      Reply

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