This sour cream icing is a thin frosting that is great for putting on top of cinnamon rolls or using to glaze cakes, muffins and quick breads. It is incredibly easy to make, with only a few ingredients.
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This sour cream icing is a new discovery of ours, and we are loving it. It is so easy to make and tastes really good.
It goes great on cinnamon rolls, single layer cakes, Bundt cakes and more.
What's Cool About This Recipe
- So easy to make: this sour cream icing comes together in just a couple minutes.
- Tangy and sweet: The sour cream giving this icing a nice tang to counteract the sweetness, they are the perfect pair.
Ingredients and Substitutions
- Sour cream: We recommend full fat sour cream.
- Butter: We use unsalted butter and add a tiny pinch of salt. We haven’t tried this with salted butter, but if you do, we suggest omitting the salt in the recipe.
- Powdered sugar: We use organic powdered sugar.
- Vanilla extract: This adds flavor to the icing.
- Salt: A little salt helps balance out the sweetness.
See recipe card for quantities.
Instruction Photos
Overview of instructions with photos. See recipe card for quantities and full instructions.
Step 1: In a medium mixing bowl, using and electric hand mixer or large whisk, beat the softened butter and room temperature sour cream together until smooth.
Step 2: Add the powdered sugar, vanilla extract and salt. Mix until combined. Use immediately or refrigerate until ready to use.
Serving Suggestions
Sour cream icing makes a great topping for things such as:
- Cinnamon rolls
- Bundt cake
- Muffins and Quick breads
- Carrot cake
- Zucchini bars
- Apple cake
Storage
Store unused icing in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks.
Store any baked goods that the icing in on covered in the refrigerator (the time it can be stored will depend on the baked good it is on).
Tips From Our Kitchen
Make sure the butter and sour cream are at room temperature, if they’re not the butter will go lumpy when you mix them together.
You can reduce, or increase the sugar to suit your taste.
FAQ
Icing and frosting are sometimes used interchangeably, although they are technically different. Icing is thinner while frosting is thicker. Icing is generally used in a thin layer on top of cakes, muffins, quickbreads and pastries. It is runnier than frosting so it will run into all the cracks and divots of your baked goods. Frosting is thick and holds its shape. It is used for frosting layer cakes, piping decorations, and anywhere you want a thick layer of frosting.
Related Recipes
📖 Recipe
Sour Cream Icing
Ingredients
- ½ cup (120 g) full fat sour cream room temperature
- ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter softened
- ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ⅛ teaspoon sea salt
Instructions
- In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer, beat ½ cup (120 g) full fat sour cream and ½ cup (113 g) unsalted butter together until smooth.
- Add ¾ cup (90 g) powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, and ⅛ teaspoon sea salt. Beat until smooth and fully combined.
- Use immediately for icing or glaze, or refrigerate for 1-2 hours for frosting single layer cakes.
Notes
Nutrition
We calculate these nutritional facts using an estimate and they can vary drastically between ingredients used and measuring technique. So, they are not intended for medical use.
Did you make this recipe? We would love to hear from you!