Brown Butter Vanilla Layer Cake

The beauty of this brown butter vanilla cake recipe is that it’s a really great white cake, but one where where the nutty, caramel like flavors of browned butter are really allowed to shine. 

I’ve made it for you here as plainly as I could because I wanted to give you a delicious vanilla cake. That said, this one is ripe for turning into your own canvas: adding berries or another fruit to the filling, changing up the frosting for a swiss meringue (which will be less sweet but more buttery), a whipped cream or a whipped ganache. 

Whatever you do, be aware: this is a sweet cake. The flavors are nutty brown butter, vanilla and more vanilla. If you want a more varied flavor, the filling is where you want to play. 

Also – I do think (ofc) that lemon curd or any of my other curds, would be a great filling here 😉 

Recipe Origins 

This vanilla layer cake recipe is based on these brown butter vanilla cupcakes. It’s mostly the same, though I’ve made some quantitative adjustments to make a two layer eight inch cake. I also swapped in some brown sugar for moisture and to accentuate the ‘caramel’ flavor we get from browning the butter. 

Recipe Ingredients 

Butter: unsalted butter. Salted is fine too but reduce the salt added to the recipe so the cake isn’t too salty. 

Sugar: we’re doing a combination of fine granulated sugar and light brown sugar. Please note: while this cake is on the sweeter side, if you reduce the sugar the cake will lose moisture. 

Oil: any flavorless oil like avocado, sunflower or canola. 

Leavening: double acting baking powder. 

Salt: fine sea salt. If using table salt, use half the amount. 

Vanilla: pure vanilla extract, vanilla bean paste or – my favorite – a fresh vanilla bean, scraped. If using the bean, you can place it in the butter while it’s browning. 

Eggs: four large eggs, at room temperature. To warm them, place them in a bowl of hot water for 10 minutes before making the batter. 

Cake flour: I used bleached cake flour as it lends a softer, more tender crumb to the cake. I don’t advise subbing the cake flour with all purpose/cornstarch as you won’t get the same tender result. 

Buttermilk: low-fat or full-fat buttermilk or full-fat kefir. 

Cream cheese: this is for the buttercream; use one full-fat brick. Bring it to room temperature before starting 

Powdered sugar: also for the buttercream. I’m partial to powdered sugar made with tapioca starch because it does not need to be heated to melt and will not leave a chalky after-taste. 

How to make a Brown Butter Vanilla Layer Cake

At least a few hours before you’d like to make the cake: brown the butter. If you’d like, split open a vanilla bean and add to the butter as it melts 

When the butter is foaming and the cream colored bits at the bottom have turned a toasty brown color (they are distinct from the vanilla which are smaller and black), remove from the heat and transfer to a heat proof bowl. 

Chill the butter until it’s solid but creamy 

Preheat the oven and prepare the pans by greasing and dusting with flour (alternatively, use a baking spray). 

Mix the butter, sugars, salt and vanilla in a stand mixer until creamed and fluffy 

Add the oil and mix to combine 

Scrape down the bowl often to ensure everything is mixing evenly 

With the mixer on, add the eggs one at a time 

Beat until the mix is smooth. 

Sift in the flour and add the baking powder. Before you turn the mixer back on, stir it with a spatula so it doesn’t fly up and make a mess

As this is mixing in, pour in the buttermilk 

Mix until the cake flour is combined, no more (overdoing it can make the cake dry and dense) 

Divide between the cake pans 

Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, then cool completely.

Trim the ‘hats’ off the cakes.  If you’d like four layers instead of two, slice them horizontally.

Stack and layer the cakes, frosting and filling as you do.

Frost the top and all around the sides of the cake.

Decorate and serve. 

FAQ on Brown Butter Vanilla Layer Cake

Can I brown the butter ahead of time? 

Yes – I’ve done it as early as 3 days before making the cake. Just keep it covered and chilled. 

Can I make the cake layers ahead of time? 

I don’t advise it because it can dry out the cake but if you absolutely must, once the cake layers are cool wrap them tightly in plastic wrap and store them in an airtight container in the freezer. You can assemble a frozen cake but thaw it before serving. 

Can I make the buttercream ahead of time? 

Yes, up to a day ahead of time. Keep it in the fridge, covered in an airtight container. Let it soften on the counter before using to frost the cake. Stirring it helps remove air bubbles. 

Can I make this into a sheet cake? 

Yep, grease and flour a 13 x 9 inch cake pan. Spread the batter into the pan in an even layer. Bake until a cake tester comes out clean, check the cake at 20 minutes but it’ll probably need longer. 

Alternative Toppings & Fillings for the Cake 

I have a cream cheese brown butter frosting recipe for you included in the recipe. It’s delicious and goes so well with it! If you want something lighter, make my stabilized whipped cream. Along with the strawberries I think this would make an excellent ‘strawberry shortcake layer cake’. 

Jam or fruit preserves would be wonderful in between the layers of this cake as well. 

Brown Butter Vanilla Layer Cake Recipe 

Brown Butter Vanilla Cake

Soft, fluffy and tender vanilla cake made with brown butter for a nutty, flavorful taste. The cake layers are enrobed in a tangy cream cheese brown butter frosting.

Prep Time: 1 hour hr

Cook Time: 45 minutes mins

Chill Time: 1 hour hr

Yields: 2 eight inch cakes

5 from 4 votes

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Ingredients

Brown butter

• 339g or 3 sticks unsalted butter cold is fine

Cake Layers

• 200g or 1 cups fine granulated sugar
• 100g or ½ cup light brown sugar
• 135g browned butter* from above
• 50g or ¼ cup avocado oil or canola oil
• ¾ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 2 teaspoons vanilla
• 4 large eggs they must be large!
• 3 teaspoons or 1 tablespoon baking powder double acting
• 330g cake flour about 3 cups very gently shaken over a measuring cup and leveled
• 240g or 1 cup buttermilk or kefir

Cream Cheese Brown Butter Frosting

• 226g or 1 brick cream cheese full fat, at room temperature
• Remaining brown butter from above
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract or vanilla paste
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt
• 330g or 3 cups powdered sugar preferably made with tapioca starch
• 1 tablespoon sour cream or labneh

Optional strawberry filling

• 370g strawberries
• 1 tablespoon granulated sugar
• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
• Tiny pinch of fine sea salt

Method

At least few hours before making the cake batter, brown the butter

• In a large skillet or frying pan add the butter and set it over medium heat. If you’d like, slice open a vanilla bean and place it and its caviar into the pan as well. As the butter melts it will drop cream colored bits at the bottom of the pan. Cook until those bits have turned a warm toasty brown (don’t confuse them with the black bits of the vanilla bean!) and the butter smells nutty. Immediately transfer to a large bowl, scraping up all the brown bits from the butter and the black bits from the vanilla. Carefully remove the vanilla bean shell and discard.
• Set the butter in the fridge and keep an eye on it; once it starts to thicken and turn creamy (after about 30 minutes), stir it. This helps distribute the bits so they don’t settle at the bottom. Continue to chill the butter until it’s at a fully softened state (as if it were cold butter that had softened on the counter for an hour). If you are making the butter well before making the cake, just keep it in the fridge, covered. When ready to bake the cake, take it out to soften.

Make the cake batter

• Preheat the oven to 325 F. Grease and flour two 8 inch round cake pans (or use a baking spray). Measure 135g of the brown butter into the bowl of a stand mixer (the remaining butter will be used for the buttercream). Add the granulated and brown sugar to the bowl along with the vanilla and salt. Affix the paddle attachment and beat on low until fluffy, about 2-3 minutes, pouring in the oil as it mixes.
• Add the eggs, one by one, as the mixer beats on medium low speed. The batter will look separated at first but as it mixes will become creamy. Scrape down the bowl as needed for even mixing.
• Sift in the flour and add the baking powder. While it’s mixing, pour in the buttermilk. Scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and mix until the batter is thick and creamy - being careful not to overmix.
• Divide the batter between the two prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean or the tops spring back. Out of the oven, turn the cakes onto a cooling rack to cool fully.

Make the buttercream

• Have the cream cheese and butter at room temperature before beginning. Set them both in the bowl of a stand mixer and add the vanilla and salt. Mix on low until well combined - if you see lumps of cream cheese, continue mixing.
• Add the powdered sugar and mix, adding the sour cream. Stop mixing when you have a thick but creamy buttercream, scraping down as needed for even mixing.
• I like to make this early to give it time to chill and for the powdered sugar to absorb. You can make it a few hours before baking the cake or a day ahead of time. Store it in the fridge and when ready to frost, give it 10-20 minutes at room temperature and stir well to release any air bubbles.

To assemble the cake

• If filling the cake with the strawberries; slice the berries thinly and toss with the remaining ingredients. Set in a bowl for 10-20 minutes as the berries begin to soften.
• When the cake layers are completely cool, use a cake slicer or bread knife to slice off the domes. If you’d like a four layer cake, use a cake slicer to slice each layer in half horizontally.
• Place one layer of cake (bottom down) on a cake turntable and pipe a wall of buttercream on the rim of the cake and spread a thin layer of buttercream on the bottom. Spread a layer of strawberries over the thin layer of buttercream, keeping them away from the sides. If not using strawberries add a thicker layer of buttercream. Repeat with the other cake layers, ensuring that the last layer is bottom up. If the cake is quite tall, you may want to stabilize it with a dowel inserted into the center. Spread buttercream over the top and around the sides of the cake. Decorate as desired.
• The cake is best served the day of baking. Leftovers should be stored in an airtight container.

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