A gorgeous icing and takes vanilla icing into the stratosphere of flavour. Browning the butter creates a lovely nutty flavour that is simply divine. This icing can easily be doubled or tripled to frost the top and sides of a cake.

Makes enough to frost the top of an 8” x 8” or 9” x 9” cake

  • ¼ cup salted butter
  • 1 ½ cups icing sugar
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp + 2 tsp (approx.) milk or water

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium-high heat. The butter will melt, bubble and foam. Watch carefully swirling the pan throughout the process.

After about 5-7 minutes the butter will begin to brown and you will see brown flecks on the bottom of the pan. This happens quite quickly so don’t leave the pot unattended. Brown until a nut-brown colour. Immediately remove from the heat. Watch that the butter doesn’t continue to brown too much from any residual heat left in the pan. You want the butter a lovely nutty brown but not too dark or it will taste burned.

Transfer to a medium bowl and let the butter cool and return to a solid (it will be spreadable), about 3-4 hours.

Using a mixer, add the icing sugar in thirds alternately with the milk until desired consistency. Beat in the vanilla. Spread over the top of the cake.