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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
Cook Time 45 minutes
Chill Time 1 hour
Servings 2 eight inch cakes

Equipment

  • two eight inch round cake pans
  • stand or hand mixer for mixing the batter

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

Instructions

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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