Maple Miso Brown Butter Frosting Recipe for Cakes and Cookies

If you need me, I’ll be in the corner licking the bowl—this maple miso brown butter buttercream may be the best thing I’ve eaten all year.

A single layer round cake frosted with maple miso brown butter frosting.

“This is a keeper. I make wedding cakes and wanted to make a groom’s cake with something different. I tried these two recipes exactly as described, and I will use this as the middle layer between my favorite chocolate cakes. The cake will be decorated with Reeces Peanutbutter cups (the Groom’s request). This is perfect.” – Toni

Despite its simple elegance, this brown butter frosting delivers a seriously layered, grown-up flavor. White miso brings sweet-salty umami with subtle acidity, while browned butter adds nutty, toasty richness. A touch of maple syrup and powdered sugar rounds everything into a balanced frosting that sits between sweet and savory.

If you think “savory” doesn’t belong in frosting, try this—it’s addictive.

-Rebecca

Ingredients needed to prepare this recipe

The ingredients needed to make maple miso brown butter frosting.

You only need a few ingredients to make this frosting:

Unsalted butter. Use unsalted butter because miso is already salty; salted butter can make the frosting overly salty.
Powdered sugar. Also called confectioners’ sugar—this sweetens and adds structure.
White miso. Any miso will work, but white miso is mild and slightly sweet, which complements the butter and maple without overpowering them.
Maple syrup. Use real maple syrup for depth and a natural maple flavor.

A single layer round cake piled high with maple miso brown butter frosting.

How to brown butter

Cut the butter into chunks and place it in a light-colored saucepan so you can easily monitor the color.

Someone using a wood spoon to stir browned butter in a saucepan.

Cook over medium heat, stirring often until the butter melts, foams, and then the milk solids turn golden brown and release a nutty aroma. Watch the butter beneath the foam—the finished butter will be golden with dark brown flecks on the pan bottom.

Pour the browned butter into a small bowl, scraping the brown bits from the pan into the bowl—they contain concentrated flavor. Let the butter cool at room temperature until it solidifies. You can chill it briefly to speed this up, but bring it back to room temperature before making the frosting. Browned butter will keep in the refrigerator for about a week.

Cakes that pair well with maple miso brown butter frosting

I developed this frosting for a brown butter cake, but it pairs beautifully with many cakes. Chocolate-based cakes are especially good; the maple and miso add smoky, savory depth. Try it with chocolate almond cake, chocolate spice cake, devil’s food, or chocolate cupcakes.

It also complements lighter cakes—swap it for chocolate frosting on a yellow cake, spread it on a soft vanilla layer cake, or use it with spice cake for a rich, nuanced finish.

Using a flat icing spatula to spread maple miso brown butter frosting over a round one layer cake.

A slice of brown butter cake with maple miso brown butter frosting on a plate with a fork.

More brown butter recipes

Roasted Fruit Sauce with Maple Syrup and Brown Butter
Chewy Brown Sugar Cookies
Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies {Extra Gooey}
French Apple Crumb Cake

One final thing: If you love miso, try miso butter—it’s great on many savory and sweet dishes.

If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Scroll down to rate and leave a comment.

Happy baking!

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📖 Recipe

Maple Miso Brown Butter Frosting

Yield:
About 2 cups

Prep Time:
15 minutes

Additional Time:
1 hour

Total Time:
1 hour 15 minutes

This recipe yields enough frosting to generously cover a single 8-inch round cake about 3 inches tall. It pairs especially well with brown butter cake.

Ingredients

8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter
¼ cup (73 grams) white miso
½ cup (156 grams) maple syrup
1–2 cups (114–227 grams) powdered/confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)

Instructions

To brown the butter: Cut the butter into chunks and add to a light-colored saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until melted, foamy, and the milk solids turn golden brown and smell nutty. Pour the browned butter into a small bowl, scraping the brown bits from the pan into the bowl. Let the butter cool at room temperature until solid; refrigerate briefly to speed cooling if desired, but return to room temperature before using. Browned butter keeps up to a week in the refrigerator.
When the brown butter is solid at room temperature, scrape it into a large mixing bowl. Add the miso, maple syrup, 1 cup of powdered sugar, and almond extract if using.
Using an electric mixer, beat on low just to combine, then increase to medium-high and beat until the mixture is creamy and slightly lightened in color, about 3–5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
Add more powdered sugar, a little at a time, until the frosting reaches your desired consistency—the more you add, the stiffer it will be.
If not using immediately, transfer the frosting to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week. Bring to room temperature and rewhip briefly before spreading if chilled.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 8
Serving Size: ¼ cup

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 225Total Fat: 12gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 4gCholesterol: 31mgSodium: 325mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 0gSugar: 26gProtein: 1g

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