Salted Cream Cheese Caramel Frosting

Caramel AND Cream Cheese!!! As an idea, decorate top of cake or cupcakes after frosting with chocolate covered espresso beans.

• Ready In: 40 mins
• Yields: 1 cake frosting

Ingredients

• For the Salted Caramel

• 1  cup sugar
• 4  tablespoons water
• 2  tablespoons light corn syrup
• 1⁄2 cup heavy cream
• 2  tablespoons butter
• 1⁄2 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1⁄2 teaspoon kosher salt or 1⁄2 teaspoon sea salt

• The Rest

• 12  tablespoons butter, room temperature (1 1/2 sticks)
• 6  ounces cream cheese, room temperature
• 4 -5  cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 3⁄4 cup  salted  caramel (recipe above)

Directions

1. Combine the sugar, water and corn syrup in a large saucepan and stir with a wooden spoon over medium heat until sugar is dissolved.
2. Cover the saucepan and let it cook over medium heat for 3 minutes. Do not open lid.
3. After 3 minutes, remove the lid, increase the heat to medium and bring to a boil.
4. Do not stir from this point on, but instead swirl the liquid around the pan so that the caramel doesn’t burn. Stirring forms sugar crystals and it will become grainey.
5. Continue to cook until the caramel turns an even amber color then remove from the heat and let stand for about 30 seconds.
6. Carefully pour the heavy cream into the mixture. The mixture will bubble up significantly and is very hot. Stir the mixture; add the butter, lemon juice and salt. Stir, again, until combined.
7. Pour caramel into a heat-proof measuring cup. Stir occasionally and allow to cool until thickened and warm to the touch, about 20 minutes.
8. Beat butter and cream cheese at medium speed until creamy.
9. Add 4 cups sifted powdered sugar into the butter/cream cheese mixture and beat to combine.
10. Add 3/4 cup of the prepared salted caramel and beat to combine.
11. Add additional powdered sugar until the frosting is the sweetness and consistency desired.