Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake

 

Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake

*adapted from finecooking.com

* grease and flour three 9 inch cake pans, set oven temp to 350 degrees

• 1 & 1/2 cup unsalted butter
•  4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
•  3 tsp. baking soda
•  3 tsp. ground cinnamon
•  2 tsp. ground ginger
•  1 & 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
•  1/2 tsp. ground cloves
• 3/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
• 3 cups pumpkin puree
• 3 cups granulated sugar
•  1 & 1/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
•  4 large eggs, room temperature
•  2/3 cup buttermilk. room temperature

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring occasionally until the butter turns a nutty golden-brown.  Let cool while preparing other ingredients.

2.  In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt,nutmeg and cloves.  In a large bowl, whisk pumpkin purée with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and buttermilk until well blended.   Stir in the flour mixture just until combined. Gently whisk in the brown butter until completely incorporated. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.

3.  Bake the cakes until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 35 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.

Cinnamon Cream Cheese Icing

• 2 cups dark brown sugar , firmly packed
• 1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
• 500 grams of cream cheese, cold
• 2 tsp. ground cinnamon

1.  Beat butter and brown sugar until smooth.  Add cold cream cheese and beat just until blended.  Cream cheese icing is easier to work with when the cream cheese is added cold.

Candied Pecans

• 2 cups pecan halves
• 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream
• 1 cup dark brown sugar

1.  Mix together the pecans, brown sugar and cream.  Spread over a greased cookie sheet and bake at 350° for 15-20 minutes, stirring once.

Cake Assembly

1.  I usually let cake layers chill in the freezer for at least an hour before icing. 

2.  Place the first cake on your cake plate, then spread a thick layer of cream cheese frosting. Repeat with the next layer.  Add the final layer and frost the entire cake with a thin layer then refrigerate for several hours.

3.  Once the cake has chilled for a few hours frost entire cake again. Refrigerate again for several hours. Heat a tall glass of water for a couple minutes in the microwave and place a clean frosting knife in the  water to warm. Wipe knife and run it gently over the iced cake to smooth. Add pecans as topping and sprinkle with cinnamon.