From REAL SWEET by Shauna Sever. Reprinted with permission from HarperCollins Publishers
Course Desserts
Prep Time 5 minutesminutes
Cook Time 30 minutesminutes
Total Time 35 minutesminutes
Servings 18-inch layer cake
Calories 1682kcal
Author Aimee
Ingredients
9Tablespoonsunsalted buttercut into tablespoons and softened
3Tablespoonsbrown rice syrup(see note)
1/4teaspoonfine sea salt
3/4cupcoconut sugar
1/4cupheavy cream
1 1/2teaspoonspure vanilla extract
Instructions
In a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium heat, melt together 4 tablespoons of the butter, the brown rice syrup, and salt. Add the coconut sugar and stir with a heatproof spatula. Bring to a gentle boil and clip a candy thermometer onto the pan. Cook to 248˚F, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully stir in the cream and vanilla extract. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
Whisk the remaining 5 tablespoons of butter into the caramel, a tablespoon at a time, letting each knob of butter absorb into the caramel before adding the next. Don’t rush this step—you’re not only setting yourself up for a nice emulsified frosting, you’re also slowly cooling the caramel, both of which will make for a smooth, creamy final product.
Scrape the caramel into a mixing bowl or bowl of a stand mixer. Chill until the caramel is cool to the touch all the way through, about 20 minutes. Using an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment or a handheld mixer on medium speed, whip the caramel into a lush, creamy frosting until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. (If it still looks like caramel sauce after 1 minute of beating, chill further before whipping again.) Use immediately, or store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week, bringing it back to room temperature before giving it a quick rewhipping.
Notes
Although the liquid sweetener here obviously adds sweetness, its main functions are to keep the caramel flexible and add a beautiful gloss to the whipped frosting. Shauna like to use something very neutral in flavor, such as brown rice syrup, to allow the coconut sugar flavor to really shine, but you could also use light agave, mild honey, or even coconut nectar, if you have it, which will give a much deeper color to the frosting and make it a bit sweeter as well.