Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake
This Pumpkin Cake pairs the warm undertones of brown butter and pumpkin together for a light crumb topped with a brown butter buttercream for a perfect Fall cake.
Servings 10
Calories 358kcal
Ingredients
Cake
- 150 grams / 5.3 ounces brown butter softened
- 50 grams / ¼ cup superfine/caster sugar
- 150 grams / ¾ cup brown sugar
- 165 grams / 3 large eggs room temperature and separated
- 250 grams / 1 cup + 1 tablespoon pumpkin puree
- 240 grams / 1 ½ cups plain flour
- 5 grams / 1 teaspoon baking soda
- 6 grams / 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon sea salt
Brown butter frosting
- 110 grams / 3.9 ounces browned butter softened
- 2 grams / 1 teaspoon instant coffee
- 6 grams / 3 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 224 grams / 2 cups confectioner’s/icing sugar sifted
- ? teaspoon sea or kosher salt
Instructions
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 180C/350F and line a 20 cm or 8 inch round cake tin with parchment paper.
- Place the butter and sugars into a bowl and beat on medium until pale and well combined, approximately 3 minutes.
- Add in the egg yolks and whip until well combined, a further 1 minute.
- Add in the pumpkin and combine until the mixture is smooth.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt into the bowl and beat on low until just combined.
- In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until soft peaks form.
- Add the whipped egg whites to the cake batter and gently fold the until it is a smooth mixture and fully incorporated.
- Spoon the batter into your cake tin smooth out evenly.
- Bake for 40 minutes until golden and a skewer comes out clean.
Brown butter frosting
- Meanwhile, place the browned butter, ground cinnamon and sugar into a bowl and whip on low until pale and fluffy, approximately 4 minutes.
- Spoon onto the top of your cake and spread out evenly.
- Slice up and serve.
- Dig in!
Notes
- Browned Butter: Unsalted butter was used to make the browned or caramelized butter for the cake with 180 grams or 6.3 ounces providing the quantity of butter needed for the cake. You require more due to the loss of moisture that occurs during the browning process. It can be stored in the fridge in a covered container for up to two weeks.
- How brown butter works in the cake: Brown butter brings a delightful nutty and caramel-like flavor to the pumpkin cake. It adds complexity and richness that perfectly complements the warm spices and earthiness of the pumpkin.
- Pumpkin: Canned pumpkin was used as it ensures an even consistency for you to replicate in your own kitchen. Canned also includes less moisture than homemade mashed pumpkin.
- Trim the top: For a cleaner appearance the top of the cake was trimmed for the frosting. You can choose to do what you prefer here.
- Cake tin: A round spring form tin was used, however, a standard cake tin of similar size would also work well.
Nutrition
Calories: 358kcal