Food & Cooking Recipes Dessert & Treats Recipes Brown Butter Icing 3.9 (106) Close Yield: 1 Frosts 9-inch cake This simple, brown butter icing is a nutty, rich way to sweeten up our favorite Pumpkin Cake with Brown Butter Icing. Directions In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat until nut-brown in color, about 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat, and pour butter into a bowl, leaving any burned sediment behind. Add sugar, vanilla, and 1 tablespoon milk; stir until smooth. If the icing is too thick, add the remaining tablespoon milk, a little at a time, until consistency is spreadable. Let cool 5 minutes. Use immediately. Cook's Notes The consistency should be thin enough to spread but not runny.