If ever a cake could be called sophisticated, this brown butter cake is it. The texture is both light and rich, so soft it's almost creamy, and has a toasty, complex, almost smokey flavor laced with caramel.
I originally developed this recipe for my youngest daughter. She is the sous chef for a conference center in a Colorado ski town and had an incredible idea for a dessert that involved brandy caramel sauce, caramelized bananas, candied peanuts, peanut butter semifreddo, and brown butter cake.
Here is what that looked like and yes, I am a very proud mama.
After accepting the challenge of creating a brown butter cake recipe, I proceed to make about 17 thousand different versions of the cake you see here before finally calling it good on version 17,001.
Ok. Slight exaggeration but not by as much as you might think. What I wanted was a cake that is both light and rich, soft and creamy, with a toasty complex flavor laced with caramel. What I got was cake after cake that was either too dry, not soft enough, not flavorful enough, or that tasted exactly like I wanted it to but sunk in the middle.
(My husband got to taste each and every version by the way, and he was not mad about it.)
Alas, we got there in the end and holy smokes, all the trial and error was worth it. THIS CAKE, especially when covered in maple miso brown butter frosting, is wildly sophisticated with complex almost smoky flavors and a texture that's so soft it's almost creamy.
It bakes up tall and flat, and begging to be dressed up with a frosting that's as glamorous as it is. Umami rich maple miso brown butter frosting does not disappoint and after slathering on a thick layer all this cake needs is a sprinkle of roasted almonds and it's ready to knock your socks off.
It's the kind of chic cake that's perfect for dinner parties but that you'll find yourself making even when there's no one around to eat it but you.
xo
-Rebecca
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"I never post comments ever - EVER, but feel that I must say something about your Brown Butter Cake and Maple Miso Brown Butter Frosting that I made last week. It was over-the-top amazing. Way over. I have never had so many compliments and comments about anything I have baked before - and I bake a lot of tasty things! My friends and family kept comparing it to "crack" (and no, none of them have ever tried crack ... that I know of...). So it is now known as my "crack cake" and I am never to bake anything else again! Thank you so much Rebecca! I was already a big fan of your recipes and you now have a few more fans!" - Dianne
Ingredients needed to prepare this recipe
- Butter! I usually use unsalted but salted will work just as well. If you're sensitive to salt, reduce the amount of additional salt in the cake batter to compensate.
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder, baking soda, and salt
- A pinch of nutmeg adds a delicious warm flavor that's the perfect compliment to brown butter
- One 3.7 ounce packet vanilla pudding mix
- A couple of eggs
- Brown sugar, light or dark. When measuring brown sugar, be sure to really pack it into your measuring cup.
- Buttermilk keeps this cake super moist and tender
- Vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- Almond extract: this is optional, but it gives the flavor a slight nutty boost that goes so nicely with the brown butter flavor.
- Heavy whipping cream
- For icing and decoration: Maple Miso Brown Butter Frosting + chopped roasted and salted almonds
Pro Tip! What whipped cream does for cake
Folding some whipped cream into cake batter is a genius baking trick I learned from Bake Wise by Shirley O. Corriher. When folded gently into the batter right before baking, whipped cream adds additional fat and air - both of which contribute to the cake's soft, silky texture.
It's a technique I've relied on in several recipes (like my favorite red velvet cake and this chocolate chip cake) to create a super soft, fluffy cake that's rich and flavorful while also remaining light and airy.
After mixing up the batter, whip half a cup of heavy whipping cream until you can lift the beaters from the cream to create little whipped cream peaks that hold their shape. Then, very gently, fold the whipped cream into the cake batter.
Step-by-step photos and instructions
Brown the butter: Cut the butter into chunks and put it in a light-colored saucepan. (Dark pans make it difficult to tell when the butter is browned.) Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and begins to boil.
As you stir, pay attention to the color of the butter underneath the foam. When it's done, the butter beneath the foam will be golden brown with dark brown specks on the bottom of the pan and will smell nutty.
Once browned, pour the butter into a small bowl. Be sure to scrape all the brown flecks from the bottom of the pan into the bowl - those brown specks contain a lot of flavor. Let the butter cool completely at room temperature until it's solid.
Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and pudding mix to a bowl and stir with a wire whisk to combine.
Add the eggs and egg white to a small bowl and use a fork to whisk them together.
Scrape the brown butter (it should be solid and at room temperature) into a mixing bowl and add the brown sugar. Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy.
Add the beaten eggs and egg white to the butter and sugar mixture and beat for another couple of minutes until the batter is smooth. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.
Add the buttermilk in alternating additions with the flour mixture, mixing on low speed: ⅓ of the flour, ½ of the buttermilk, ⅓ of the flour, the rest of the buttermilk, and the rest of the flour.
Beat the whipped cream until it's thick enough to hold its shape then add it to the cake batter and very gently fold it into the batter. Stir gently, just until about 90% of it is incorporated. You should still be able to see a few white streaks.
Spread the batter into a greased and floured cake pan and bake!
Allow the cake to cool completely, then frost with Maple Miso Brown Butter Frosting and decorate with some chopped roasted and salted almonds
Mix and match: More frosting options for this cake
Maple miso brown butter frosting has my heart at the moment, but there are many other kinds of frosting that pair well with this cake. Here are just a few:
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Scroll down to rate this recipe and leave a comment for me.
Happy baking!
📖 Recipe
Brown Butter Cake
If ever a cake could be called sophisticated, this brown butter cake is it. The texture is both light and rich, so soft it's almost creamy, and has a toasty, complex, almost smokey flavor laced with caramel.
Ingredients
- 8 tablespoons (113 grams) unsalted butter
- 1 ¼ cups (150 grams) all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¾ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon nutmeg
- One 3.7 ounce packet vanilla pudding mix
- 2 large eggs (100 grams) + 1 large egg white (35 grams)
- ¾ cup (160 grams) packed brown sugar
- ¾ cup + 1 tablespoon (185 grams) buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste
- ½ teaspoon almond extract (optional)
- ¼ cup (56 grams) heavy whipping cream
Frosting and decoration:
- Maple Miso Brown Butter Frosting
- About ½ cup chopped roasted and salted almonds
Instructions
- Brown the butter: Cut the butter into chunks and put it in a light-colored saucepan. (Dark pans make it difficult to tell when the butter is browned.) Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the butter is melted and begins to boil. As you stir, pay attention to the color of the butter underneath the foam. When it's done, the butter beneath the foam will be golden brown with dark brown specks on the bottom of the pan and will smell nutty. Once browned, pour the butter into a small bowl. Be sure to scrape all the brown flecks from the bottom of the pan into the bowl - those brown specks contain a lot of flavor. Let the butter cool completely at room temperature until it's solid; this will take 2-4 hours, depending on the temperature of the room. You can speed the process up by placing it in the refrigerator but bring it back to room temperature before using. (Brown butter can be kept in the refrigerator for up to a week.)
- Preheat the oven to 350° F (176° C). Grease, flour, and line the bottom of one 8-inch round cake pan with parchment paper. Here's how to grease, flour, and line cake pans with parchment paper.
- Add the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, nutmeg, and pudding mix to a bowl and stir with a wire whisk to combine.
- Add the eggs and egg white to a small bowl and use a fork to whisk them together.
- Scrape the brown butter (it should be solid and at room temperature) into a mixing bowl and add the brown sugar (to measure brown sugar, pack it down into the measuring cup). Beat with an electric mixer at medium speed until the mixture is light and fluffy about 3-4 minutes. Stop from time to time to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- Add the beaten eggs and egg white to the butter and sugar mixture and beat for another 2 minutes at medium speed, until the batter is smooth. Beat in the vanilla and almond extracts.
- Add the buttermilk in alternating additions with the flour mixture, mixing on low speed: ⅓ of the flour, ½ of the buttermilk, ⅓ of the flour, the rest of the buttermilk, and the rest of the flour. With each addition, beat on low speed just long enough for about 75% of it to be incorporated before adding the next addition. Be careful to not over beat.
- Give the batter a final stir with a wooden spoon or rubber spatula to finish incorporating all the ingredients into a smooth batter.
- Add the heavy whipping cream to a separate bowl and beat with an electric mixer until medium peaks form (if you lift the beater from the cream, a peak will form with the tip falling over onto itself slightly).
- Scoop the whipped cream into the cake batter and very gently fold it into the batter. Stir gently, just until about 90% of it is incorporated. You should still be able to see a few white streaks.
- Spread the batter into the prepared cake pan smoothing it into an even layer. Bake the cake in the center of the oven for 40-48 minutes. When done, the cake will be pulling away from the sides of the pan and if you insert a toothpick in the center, it will come away without any evidence of raw batter.
- Set the pan on a cooling rack and allow the cake to rest in the pan for 5 minutes. Lay another cooling rack over the top of the pan and gently flip the whole thing over, so the cake turns out onto the cooling rack. Set the first cooling rack over the bottom of the cake and flip the whole thing over so the cake is now resting upright on the first cooling rack. Allow the cake to cool completely before frosting.
- Frost the cake with miso maple brown butter frosting (or whatever frosting you like; see the list of suggestions above). Decorate with some chopped roasted and salted almonds.
Notes
Unfrosted, this cake will keep well at room temperature, well wrapped, for up to 3 days. Frosted, the cake should be stored in the refrigerator where it will keep for up to 3 days.
Nutrition information is for an unfrosted, undecorated cake.
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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 8 Serving Size: ⅛th of the cakeAmount Per Serving: Calories: 352Total Fat: 16gSaturated Fat: 10gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 6gCholesterol: 110mgSodium: 567mgCarbohydrates: 46gFiber: 1gSugar: 30gProtein: 5g
Emma says
Hi there! Would it be possible to bake this recipe in a 9 by 13 pan instead of 8x8 round?
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Emma! Yes! You can certainly bake this cake in a 9x13-inch pan, but I'd suggest doubling the recipe. Keep an eye on it, but I think a 9x13-inch cake will take 55-60 minutes to bake 350 degrees. Please let me know if you have any other questions! And I'd love to hear what you think of this cake after you make it!
Nel says
Hi! I want to make this incredible sounding cake but in the uk it’s hard to get pudding powder! Would this https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dr-Oetker-Original-Pudding-Vanilla work? Thanks so much!
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Nel! Yes! I think that will work perfectly well. Please let me know if you have any other questions! And I'd love to hear what you think of this cake after you make it!
Briii says
Amazing recipe! Worth every step! I use banana pudding mix instead of vanilla and it came out sooo delicious. This cake is SOFT & MOIST like no other. Definitely will make this more often, especially for holidays. I make a browned butter glaze to go on top and it’s phenomenal.
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi there! I am so happy to hear that you like this recipe! I hadn't thought about using banana pudding mix! What a great idea! I must try it. And also, a brown butter glaze sounds amazing... do you just mix some powdered sugar into brown butter?
Briii says
I mix browned butter, powdered sugar, and maple syrup. It’s amazing!
Rebecca Blackwell says
That sounds delicious! I'm going to try it! Thank you!
Bryce says
Hi!
I was wondering if I could possibly add liquid caramel into this cake recipe? And if so… how much caramel could I add before the cake becomes too liquidy? I want to bring out the flavor of the caramel more. The last time I made this cake recipe people requested a more prominent caramel flavor. Would adding more flour balance it out when adding the caramel or would that then mess up the other measurements?
Thank you!
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Bryce! Adding more liquid to cake batter can be problematic because it alters the ratios of fat, sugar, eggs, liquid, and flour. When you change one thing, everything has to be adjusted. What I'd suggest instead is to serve this cake with caramel sauce. I have two recipes for caramel sauce that I love: Salted Caramel Sauce and Caramel Rum Sauce. Either one would be absolutely divine drizzled over slices of brown butter cake!
Toni C says
Does this brown butter cake require instant vanilla pudding or the boxed cooked kind? Not crazy about using this. What is the purpose? to insure it is moist?
Rebecca Blackwell says
Hi Toni! The pudding mix adds both moisture and flavor. You can certainly leave it out if you prefer. But, I can attest that the cake is better if you use it. 🙂 What you're looking for is the dry instant pudding mix. For reference, here's the brand I often use: 365 Organic Vanilla Pudding Mix.
I hope that helps! Please let me know if you have any other questions!