Maple Buttercream Frosting Recipe
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Maple Buttercream Frosting makes the perfect frosting recipe to highlight autumn dessert recipes. This Maple Buttercream Frosting recipe uses real maple syrup and can be adjusted for flavor.
Maple Buttercream Frosting makes a delicious addition to any autumn cake, cupcake or just smooshed between two cookies or graham crackers, truth be told.
This Maple Buttercream Frosting has a delicate maple flavoring, not overpowering in any way. Of course, you can adjust to amp up the maple flavor if you wish taking it anywhere from delicate to intense. Totally your call on that one.
Here’s my Maple Buttercream Frosting recipe. It is truly out of this world on my butter cake, my white cake, and definitely as a topping on my butter cookies. And that list just goes on and on. You probably should go ahead and just make extra frosting. You’ll want it, believe me.
Maple Buttercream Frosting Recipe
Ingredients
- 1 cup (226 g) butter, (2 sticks) unsalted, softened
- 2 cups (247 g) confectioner's sugar
- 1/2 cup (156 g) maple syrup
- 1 teaspoon (5 g) vanilla extract
- 1/4 teaspoon (0.65 g) kosher salt
- maple flavoring, optional
Instructions
- Cream softened butter with the paddle attachment of your stand mixer or beat well with your hand mixer until the butter has lightened in color, about 3 minutes.
- Add confectioner's sugar and incorporate fully. Turn your mixer onto high speed to make sure the sugar is well incorporated and to lighten the mixture. Reduce the speed of your mixer and add maple syrup, vanilla extract, and salt.
- Turn your mixer back onto high speed and beat for about 30 seconds to lighten. Taste the buttercream to make sure it has the flavor you prefer, if you would like more maple flavor, add maple flavoring 1 teaspoon at a time until it has reached the flavor you prefer. You may need to incorporate additional sugar to have your buttercream at the proper consistency.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Enjoy!
Robyn xo
This maple buttercream is fabulous! We made it once about 3 years ago and it became an instant favorite—requested for every family birthday cake ever since. I use an entire box of domino’s confectionery sugar for this as frosting was too runny to use for a layer cake when we went with 2 cups alone. And artificial flavoring?! Never for our NH/VT family! Thank you for this recipe!
I’m so glad you and your family love this frosting, Bonnie. As I state in the recipe, the added maple flavor is optional. I don’t add any either. I don’t know why your frosting is too thin with the 2 cups of confectioner’s sugar unless my maple syrup is thicker than yours. You can see from my photos the consistency of the frosting. I’m glad you found the ratios that work for you though. Thanks!
I have tried countless frosting recipes, and until finding this, I hated making buttercream. But, then I found this recipe. My family and I love this frosting! It goes perfectly with a vanilla cake. The tones are balanced, yet complex. The texture is unmatched. My mother who always eats around the frosting on a cake ate this frosting! This has become a family favorite. Thank you for a delicious recipe.
Thanks so much. I’m happy everyone loved this frosting.
Delicious with plenty of real maple flavor!
Thanks, Cathy!
Hello! *Vegan* over here. Not leaving a star review since I used this recipe as a guideline because vegetable margarine works differently than butter.
I used 1 cup softened Earth Balance Buttery Sticks, 3 cups organic powdered sugar, 1/4 cup maple syrup, 1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract, & 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt. I was able to frost (piping the frosting) approximately 18 cupcakes.
I agree with above comments – 1/2 cup maple syrup would definitely be too much. I toyed with the idea of reducing 1/2 cup down to 1/4 cup on the stovetop but am glad I didn’t. The maple flavor still shines through.
I love a recipe that relies on the natural flavoring agent (maple syrup) and not an imitation extract. Thank you!
this sounds lovely, am planning to use this on my maple glased walnut cupcakes
I used this recipe but substituted this Irish cream for the maple syrup to top chocolate Guinness cupcakes. Delicious!
Great! We tried it both with and without the maple extract, to top a spice cake, and in our opinion it was better with the stronger maple flavor. Without the extract this frosting is good on virtually anything. Or maybe everything. 🙂
Glad to hear that you enjoyed it, Jeff! Thanks!
I used a little less than 1/2 cup of syrup. It was Deeeeeeeeeelicious! Great recipe I will use again.
I’m so glad you thought it was “deeeeelicious”, Elizabeth!!! Love to hear that! Thanks! xo
This is an excellent maple buttercream icing! Not too overly sweet and not too buttery.
Only change I made was reducing the maple syup to 1/3 cup as I used dark maple syrup, which has more intense maple flavour, and I didn’t want it to be too overpowering. I started with a 1/4 cup but found there wasn’t enough maple flavor for my liking. I added the salt and vanilla then slowly added maple syrup all while whipping the frosting. Don’t forget to scrape the bowl frequently 🙂
Btw I topped my butter pecan cupcakes with this and it was delish!
That sounds heavenly! I’m so glad you loved it!
I agree that 1/3 cup maple syrup is the right amount. A 1/2 cup is too much. I know because I used 1/2 cup and i found it to be too over-powering.
I made this frosting to put on carrot cake. I usually use buttercream since cream cheese is not my favorite. This was an awesome addition to a new carrot cake recipe that I tried. I did not pipe it, but the consistency was perfect and would have piped quite nicely. I will definitely make this again!!!!
That sounds amazing, Craig! I’m so happy you shared this and glad you enjoyed it! Thanks!