This is the most wonderful plain bundt cake ever. It has a moist crumb, great vanilla flavor, and a fabulous coffee glaze that complements it wonderfully. It keeps well and can be frozen.
I don't know where to start with how good this cake is, so let's just say that your little vanilla butter cake got upgraded, and this brown butter cake is the result.
Vanilla butter cake is the quintessential plain cake we make for birthdays and picnics, the one that can hold a filling and glaze.
Well, this one is the big, sophisticated sister that looks plain and is anything but.
This glazed cake is simple, tastes beyond amazing, and can be doubled or divided in half, depending on how many you need to feed.
And a sprinkle of powdered sugar on top does the trick too. The cake by itself is that good. But the coffee glaze makes it outstanding.
This cake has three parts to it
- Brown butter: making it is an extra step but so worth it. A life changer. We have a whole post on how to make brown butter.
- Vanilla cake batter: that is made exceptional by the addition of said brown butter.
- Coffee glaze: that is optional. Or maybe not. Maybe it pairs so well you will just have to buy the combo.
Let's start at the beginning, with the butter.
What is brown butter?
The short version is what the name implies: butter that is browned.
Also known as the French beurre noisette (translated as hazelnut butter), it is unsalted butter that is heated or cooked long enough for the water (yes, butter has water in it, sometimes a lot) to evaporate.
This leaves behind the solids that start to brown, turning golden or amber in color, and with a wonderful nutty aroma (hence the hazelnut reference).
The result is butter with a deep nutty vanilla flavor unlike anything else. Truly worth making, even though it's an extra step.
How to make brown butter
If you've never made brown butter (where have you been?!), it's really simple.
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan with tall sides (a few inches or so depending on the amount of butter you're browning) over medium heat.
- It will melt, bubble, and make a furious noise (this will be louder depending on how much water the butter has).
- Then, the bubbles will become smaller, gradually stop chirping (really, it's a chirping noise, you'll see), and foam quite a bit.
- Be careful as it will start browning underneath the foam. You will smell a nutty aroma.
- It's very important that you split the foam with the spoon or spatula you're using and see that it doesn’t burn. You want it to be an amber color. Like caramel, it goes from amber to burned in a short moment, so be careful.
- Take it out and put it in a shallow pan, so it stops cooking.
- Allow to cool and refrigerate until cold. It doesn’t need to solidify completely. You want it soft (for this recipe).
So, we have our brown butter.
The batter is a simple vanilla cake, a bit fluffier than a pound cake.
I love making it as a bundt cake like the images in this recipe,
The coffee glaze
I choose a coffee-flavored glaze because I think it adds to this cake's simplicity without overpowering it.
It's a simple powdered sugar glaze with strong, prepared espresso coffee.
The ratio (powdered sugar and liquid of choice) I give in the recipe can be varied, as it happens any time you make this kind of glaze.
You might want it to drip more or less down the sides, which can be adjusted with the amount of liquid you use. More liquid will make a thinner glaze.
Glaze liquid variations
- Orange juice or orange liquor
- Orange juice
- Maple syrup
- Ginger syrup
- Frangelico, hazelnut liquor
- Kahlua or other coffee liquor
Kitchen notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the right temperatures, equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
- Brown butter: you can make it in advance. I am so in love with it, that I usually brown a pound of it, put it back in the fridge and simply use it as regular butter for whatever cake/cookie/shortbread I'm making next.
- Cake pans: bundt cakes are always a favorite, but you can also make two medium loaf cakes from this recipe.
- How long does it keep: If well wrapped, it keeps a few days at room temperature (not scorching, obviously) and up to 1 month in the freezer.
- Gift giving: this is a great cake to give as a gift because it's simple yet has a sensational flavor, but it's vanilla, so it's hard to find someone who doesn't like it. I like to make small loaf cakes (this recipe yields 4) to take over to friends' houses when they invite me over.
Related recipes you might like:
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The Best Brown Butter Cake
A wonderful bundt cake with a moist crumb, great vanilla flavor, and a fabulous coffee glaze. It keeps well and can be frozen.
- Total Time: 1 hour 20 minutes
- Yield: 10 slices
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup butter
- ¾ cup buttermilk, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 2 cups cake or all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups sugar (I use light brown sometimes)
- 2 eggs, at room temperature
For the glaze:
- 1 cup powdered sugar
- 2 tablespoons of strong prepared coffee
Instructions
To make brown butter:
- Melt butter in a medium saucepan with tall sides (a few inches or so depending on the amount of butter you're browning) over medium heat.
- It will melt, bubble, and make a furious noise (this will be louder depending on how much water the butter has).
- Then, the bubbles will become smaller, gradually stop chirping (really, it's a chirping noise, you'll see), and foam quite a bit.
- Be careful as it will start browning underneath the foam. You will smell a nutty aroma.
- It's very important that you split the foam with the spoon or spatula you're using and see that it doesn’t burn. You want it to be an amber color. Like caramel, it goes from amber to burned in a short moment, so be careful.
- Take it out and put it in a shallow pan, so it stops cooking.
- Allow to cool and refrigerate until cold. It doesn’t need to solidify completely; you want it soft.
For the cake:
- Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt. Reserve. I measure the ingredients and sift them directly when adding them to the butter mixture.
- Preheat the oven to 350ºF (180ºC). Butter or spray a large bundt cake pan. Dust with flour or fine breadcrumbs. If using one of the intricate patterned new bundt pans, the best way is to use baking spray, which comes with flour. If not, butter it carefully with a brush (every angle, every corner, dust with flour shaking off excess, and put it in the fridge while you make the batter. Pour the batter into the cold pan and bake.
- In a large bowl, beat brown butter, add the sugar gradually, and beat for 3 minutes, until light and airy.
- Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
- Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla in 2 parts. Don't overbeat as it will make the cake tough.
- Put the batter in the prepared pan and bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until a cake tester or toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire rack and carefully remove from the pan onto a cooling rack. Cool completely before glazing.
- Store leftovers wrapped in film or covered.
For the glaze:
- Mix powdered sugar and coffee until you have a spreadable, honey-like consistency. Pour over the cold cake and let it drip down the sides.
Notes
- Organization: read the recipe first and ensure you have ingredients at the right temperatures, equipment needed, and enough workspace. This will make the process so much easier!
- Brown butter: you can make it in advance. I am so in love with it, that I usually brown a pound of it, put it back in the fridge and simply use it as regular butter for whatever cake/cookie/shortbread I'm making next.
- Cake pans: bundt cakes are always a favorite, but you can also make two medium loaf cakes from this recipe.
- How long does it keep: If well wrapped, it keeps a few days at room temperature (not scorching, obviously) and up to 1 month in the freezer.
- Gift giving: this is a great cake to give as a gift because it's simple yet has a sensational flavor, but it's vanilla, so it's hard to find someone who doesn't like it. I like to make small loaf cakes (this recipe yields 4) to take over to friends' houses when they invite me over.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 50 minutes
- Category: Cakes
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1/10
- Calories: 445
- Sugar: 40.8 g
- Sodium: 96.2 mg
- Fat: 20.2 g
- Carbohydrates: 62.9 g
- Fiber: 0.5 g
- Protein: 4.3 g
- Cholesterol: 88 mg
Keywords: brown butter cake
Recipe adapted from Baking for all Seasons, by Flo Braker, a cookbook I highly recommend to own if you like baking.
Liz says
Oooh, brown butter is fabulous! What a delicious addition to a butter cake. Yes, to the coffee glaze, too!
★★★★★
angiesrecipes says
I adore browned butter! The cake looks sensational, Paula.
Earl Williams says
Thank you so much for explaining and showing how this brown butter is made. No knowing has kept me away from many recipes God Bless You.
★★★★★
Paula Montenegro says
You should try it Earl! It's a wonderful discovery. Have a great week!
Karen (Back Road Journal) says
I'm so happy to discover that you have returned to blogging. or should I say sharing your recipes in English. Your cake sounds delicious. I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and I wish you all the best in the New Year. Feliz Año Nuevo!