Maple Miso Brown Butter Frosting Recipe

If you need me, I’ll be in the corner licking the bowl — this maple brown butter frosting with white miso may be the best thing I’ve eaten this 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 Reece’s Peanut Butter cups (the groom’s request). This is perfect.” – Toni

Though it sounds simple, this brown butter frosting is layered and surprisingly sophisticated. White miso brings sweetness, salt, and umami; browning butter adds deep, nutty, toasty notes. A touch of maple syrup brightens the profile and powdered sugar smooths everything into a spreadable, spoonable frosting that strikes the perfect balance between sweet and savory.

If you think “savory” doesn’t belong in frosting, give this one a try — you won’t be able to stop eating it.

-Rebecca

Ingredients needed to prepare this recipe

The ingredients needed to make maple miso brown butter frosting.

This frosting requires just a few ingredients that work together to create a complex, rich flavor:

Unsalted butter. Use unsalted butter so you can control the salt level; miso is already salty.
Powdered sugar. Also called confectioners’ sugar, which gives structure and sweetness.
White miso. Any miso will work, but white miso is milder and slightly sweeter than darker varieties, so it blends beautifully into frosting.
Maple syrup. Use real maple syrup — it adds depth and a gentle caramel note.

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

How to brown butter

Cut the butter into pieces and place it in a light-colored saucepan so you can see the color change clearly. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter melts and comes to a gentle boil.

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

As the butter cooks, foam will form. Watch the butter beneath that foam — when it turns a golden brown and you see dark brown specks on the bottom of the pan, and it smells nutty, it’s done. Remove it from the heat right away.

Pour the browned butter into a small bowl, scraping the browned bits from the pan into the bowl — those browned flecks hold a lot of 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 using. Browned butter will keep in the refrigerator for about a week if you want to make it in advance.

Cakes that pair well with maple miso brown butter frosting

This frosting was developed for a brown butter cake, but it pairs wonderfully with many cakes. It complements chocolate, nuts, and warm spices especially well. Try it on:

Brown butter cake or other butter-forward cakes
Chocolate cakes — the maple and miso add smoky complexity to chocolate
Chocolate almond cake or chocolate spice cake
Classic vanilla or yellow cakes as a flavorful alternative to standard buttercream
Spice cakes, where the toasty brown butter and miso enhance warm spice notes

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 a versatile compound butter that works on many dishes.

If you try this recipe, 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 also works beautifully as a filling between layers.

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 place it in a light-colored saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter melts and begins to bubble. Watch the color beneath the foam. When the butter beneath the foam is golden brown and dark brown specks form on the bottom of the pan and the aroma is nutty, remove from heat. Pour into a small bowl and scrape the browned bits into the bowl. Let cool completely at room temperature until solid. You may chill briefly to speed cooling, but return to room temperature before using. (Brown butter keeps in the refrigerator for up to a week.)
When the browned butter is solid and 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 to combine and prevent a sugar cloud. Increase to medium-high and beat until the mixture is creamy and slightly lighter in color, about 3–5 minutes. Scrape down the bowl as needed.
Add more powdered sugar as needed to reach your preferred consistency; more sugar will produce a stiffer frosting.
If not using immediately, transfer the frosting to an airtight container and refrigerate for up to a week. Bring to room temperature and re-whip briefly before spreading, if desired.

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