Brown Butter Pumpkin Layer Cake Recipes

PUMPKIN BUNDT CAKE WITH MAPLE BROWN-BUTTER GLAZE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees, and butter and flour a 12-cup (or larger) capacity bundt pan.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, cardamom, allspice and black pepper until well combined.
• In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, combine brown sugar, butter and olive oil. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing for about 20 seconds in between each egg. Add the pumpkin purée and sour cream, and mix until well combined, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl as necessary.
• Remove the bowl from the mixer, and use a rubber spatula to fold in the dry ingredients until well combined. Make sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure an evenly mixed batter.
• Pour the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top and firmly tap the pan on the countertop a few times to release any large air bubbles. Bake the cake until golden and puffed, and a tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes.
• Set the cake, still in its pan, on a rack to cool for 20 minutes, then use the tip of a knife to loosen the edges and invert the cake onto the rack to cool completely before glazing.
• Make the glaze: Once the cake is cool, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the butter, occasionally scraping the bottom and sides of the pan with a rubber spatula until it turns a deep golden brown and smells nutty. Don't walk away from the pan during this process. The butter can go from brown and nutty to acrid and burnt in mere moments.
• Transfer butter and all the brown bits from the pan to a heat-safe bowl, and let it cool slightly. Whisk in the confectioners' sugar, maple syrup and salt until smooth. The glaze should be thick but pourable. If it's too thin, add a bit more confectioners' sugar. If it's too thick, add a few drops of water.
• Transfer the cake to a serving platter and pour the glaze evenly over the top. Sprinkle with pepitas if desired. Let the glaze set for a few minutes before slicing.

PUMPKIN CAKE WITH BROWN BUTTER ICING

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-by-2-inch round cake pan. Line pan with parchment, and butter the parchment. Coat pan with flour, and tap out any excess.
• In a large bowl, sift together flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, salt, baking powder, and baking soda; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat sugar and butter together until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs, and beat until combined. Add pumpkin puree and milk; beat until combined. Add reserved flour mixture; beat on low speed until just combined.
• Pour batter into prepared pan, and bake until a cake tester inserted into the middle comes out clean, about 55 minutes. Transfer the cake to a wire rack to cool. Let cake rest 20 minutes.
• Unmold cake. Using an offset spatula, spread icing over top of cake, and decorate with caramelized walnut halves.

BROWN BUTTER PUMPKIN LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• Make the pumpkin purée: Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F Brush a 9x13-inch baking dish with the oil. Put the pumpkin halves in the dish cut side down and bake until tender when pierced with a fork, about 45 minutes. Let cool. Peel the pumpkin and purée the flesh in a food processor until smooth. You'll need 1-1/2 cups of the purée for the cake. Refrigerate or freeze any remaining purée for another use.
• Make the cake: Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.
• Butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans with removable bottoms (or butter two 9-inch round cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment, butter the parchment, and flour the pans).
• Melt the butter in a heavy-duty 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally until the butter turns a nutty golden-brown, about 4 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and let stand until cool but not set, about 15 minutes.
• In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves. In a large bowl, whisk 1-1/2 cups of the pumpkin purée with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and buttermilk until very well blended. With a rubber spatula, stir in the flour mixture until just combined. Gently whisk in the brown butter until completely incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
• Bake the cakes until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 28 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto racks, remove the pan bottoms or parchment, and cool completely.
• Make the topping: Melt the butter in a heavy-duty 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the pecans and pepitas and cook until the pecans brown slightly and the pepitas begin to pop, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle in the brown sugar and salt and stir until the sugar melts and the nuts are glazed, about 2 minutes. Stir in the ginger. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool in the skillet.
• Make the frosting: Melt the butter in a heavy-duty 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally until the butter turns a nutty golden-brown, about 4 minutes. Pour into a small bowl and let stand until the solids settle at the bottom of the bowl, about 5 minutes. Carefully transfer the bowl to the freezer and chill until just firm, about 18 minutes. Using a spoon, carefully scrape the butter from bowl, leaving the browned solids at the bottom; discard the solids.
• Using an electric mixer, beat the butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light in color and the brown sugar has dissolved, 2 minutes. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar and continue beating until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Assemble the cake: Put one cake layer on a cake plate. Spread 1/2 cup of the frosting on the layer. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of the nut mixture over the frosting and top with the second layer. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Arrange the remaining topping in a ring 1-1/2 inches in from the edge of the cake and serve.
• Make Ahead Tips: You can make the purée up to 2 days ahead. The assembled, frosted cake can be covered with a cake dome and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Serve at room temperature.

BROWN BUTTER PUMPKIN LAYER CAKE

Steps:

• MAKE CAKE (cont...) Melt butter in a heavy-duty 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan occasionally until butter turns a nutty golden-brown, ~4 mins. Pour into a small bowl & let stand until cool but not set, ~15 mins. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, & cloves. In a large bowl, whisk 1-1/2 cups of pumpkin purée with granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, & buttermilk until very well blended. With rubber spatula, stir in flour mixture until just combined. Gently whisk in brown butter until completely incorporated. Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake cakes until tester inserted in center comes out clean, ~28 mins. Let cakes cool in pans for 10 mins. Turn cakes out onto racks, remove parchment, & cool completely. MAKE TOPPING Melt butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pecans & pepitas & cook until pecans brown slightly & pepitas begin to pop, ~2 mins. Sprinkle in brown sugar & salt & stir until sugar melts & nuts are glazed, ~2 mins. Stir in ginger. Remove from heat & let mixture cool in skillet. MAKE FROSTING Melt butter in 1-quart saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling pan occasionally until butter turns a nutty golden-brown, ~4 mins. Pour into a small bowl & let stand until solids settle at bottom of bowl, ~5 mins. Carefully transfer bowl to freezer & chill until just firm, ~18 mins. Using a spoon, carefully scrape butter from bowl, leaving browned solids at bottom; discard solids. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, cream cheese, & brown sugar on medium-high speed until light in color & brown sugar has dissolved, 2 mins. Gradually beat in confectioners' sugar & continue beating until fluffy, 1 to 2 mins. ASSEMBLE CAKE Put 1 cake layer on a cake plate. Spread 1/2 cup of frosting on layer. Sprinkle 1/2 cup of nut mixture over frosting & top with second layer. Frost top & sides of cake with remaining frosting. Arrange remaining topping in a ring on cake.