This Maple Buttercream is an easy frosting that strikes the perfect balance of buttery sweetness and rich maple flavor. It’s a quick finish for fall and winter baked goods and comes together in minutes.
Maple is my favorite fall flavor. I eagerly anticipate maple lattes when the weather cools and love maple in baked treats like maple cookies.
This maple buttercream is an effortless way to layer that flavor into complementary desserts. It’s my go-to frosting for pumpkin cupcakes and works beautifully on spice cupcakes, chocolate cupcakes, or a pumpkin layer cake.
The result is a fluffy, creamy buttercream with noticeable maple notes that never overpower. Best of all, it takes only minutes to prepare.
Ingredients and Substitutions
These ingredients give a good balance of airiness and richness while keeping the frosting perfectly sweet. The recipe yields enough to frost about a dozen cupcakes and can be doubled or tripled easily.
- Unsalted butter – Using unsalted butter lets you control the salt level in the frosting.
- Maple syrup – Pure maple syrup amplifies the flavor. A darker amber or Grade B syrup delivers more pronounced maple notes than a milder Grade A.
- Maple extract – Highly concentrated, a little goes a long way. Add 1/8 teaspoon at a time if you want more intensity.
- Heavy cream – Adds fluffiness and helps thin the butter and powdered sugar for a smooth texture.
- Powdered sugar – Essential for a silky, lump-free buttercream. If you don’t have it, blend granulated sugar to a fine powder and stir in 1 tablespoon cornstarch per cup as a substitute.
Key Tips
Buttercream is straightforward, but these tips help it turn out light, creamy, and stable every time.
- Use room temperature ingredients – Butter, cream, and syrup should be at room temperature. Cold butter won’t whip properly; melted butter makes frosting runny.
- Add ingredients in stages – Beat the butter first, then add syrup and extract, then incorporate powdered sugar gradually. This builds the right flavor and texture.
- Drizzle in the heavy cream while mixing – Pouring the cream in slowly with the mixer running helps maintain volume and prevents the frosting from becoming dense.
- Scrape the bowl – Pause to scrape the sides so everything combines evenly.
FAQ’S
No need to sift. The mixer eliminates lumps and skipping this step saves time.
It depends on your decorating style. For tall swirls, expect enough for about a dozen cupcakes. If you spread it with a knife or spatula, it can cover closer to 16–18 cupcakes. Feel free to double the recipe for larger projects.
If the buttercream is too thick, add 1 teaspoon of milk or cream at a time, beating between additions, until you reach the desired consistency.
Add 1/4 cup powdered sugar at a time, beating between additions. If you need to add more than an extra cup, consider adding 1–2 tablespoons cornstarch to avoid making it overly sweet.
I hope you enjoy this rich, fluffy maple buttercream. It pairs beautifully with pumpkin, warm spices, vanilla, chocolate, and many fall and winter bakes.
- Pumpkin Streusel Coffee Cake
- Healthy Pumpkin Bread
- Spiced Shortbread Cookies
Maple Buttercream Frosting
Mikayla M.
Pin Recipe
10
0
10
12 cupcakes
287 kcal
Ingredients
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1 cup butter softened -
1/4 cup maple syrup -
1/2 teaspoon maple extract -
3 cups powdered sugar -
1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
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Beat the butter on medium speed until light and fluffy, about 1–2 minutes.
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Add the maple syrup and extract and beat another 30 seconds to 1 minute, until combined.
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Reduce the mixer to low and add powdered sugar 1/2 cup at a time to prevent it spilling while mixing.
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Once all the powdered sugar is added, increase the mixer to medium-high until it’s well incorporated.
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With the mixer running, slowly pour in the heavy cream. Continue beating 1–2 minutes more, until the buttercream is light, fluffy, and smooth.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 35g
Protein: 0.3g
Fat: 17g
Saturated Fat: 11g
Sugar: 34g
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