Brown Butter Pear Cake Recipes

BROWN BUTTER PEAR CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 10-inch tube pan.
• Mix flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together in large bowl.
• Beat sugar and eggs with an electric mixer on medium speed in a separate bowl until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Beat in oil and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until well-blended. Mix in flour mixture until batter is smooth. Fold in pears and walnuts. Pour batter into the prepared tube pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 50 to 55 minutes. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting on a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Melt butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until it is a rich brown color and has a nutty aroma, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract until icing is thick and smooth. Stir in water 1 tablespoon at a time to thin icing to desired consistency. Drizzle icing over cooled cake.

PEAR SNACKING CAKE WITH BROWN BUTTER GLAZE

Steps:

• Prepare the cake: Heat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-by-2-inch square or 9-inch-round pan and line bottom with parchment paper.
• Using an electric mixer, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add sugars, baking powder, salt, vanilla, nutmeg, cloves and baking soda and beat for 1 minute. Beat in eggs, one at a time.
• With the mixer on low, beat in half the pears, and then beat in the flour until smooth. Beat in remaining pears, then the oats, beating until well incorporated. Beat in nuts.
• Spread batter in the prepared pan and bake until the top springs back when lightly pressed in the center of the cake, 40 to 50 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Prepare the glaze: In a small saucepan, melt butter, then let it simmer until the foam on top falls to the bottom of the pot and turns brown, about 3 minutes. It will smell nutty and rich when it's ready.
• Whisk in brown sugar until it dissolves. Whisk in confectioners' sugar, cream, vanilla and salt until you've got a thick glaze with the texture of hot fudge sauce. Spread this over the cooled cake. Let the glaze set for at least 2 hours before serving.

BROWN BUTTER PEAR SUGAR COOKIE BARS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350°F. Lightly spray 13x9-inch (3-quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray.
• In large bowl, stir together cookie mix and 1 tablespoon flour. Add 1/2 cup softened butter and 1 egg; stir until a soft dough forms. Gently press dough evenly in bottom of baking dish.
• Bake 10 to 15 minutes or just until dough is set and light golden brown on edges. Set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, in 1-quart saucepan, melt 3/4 cup butter over medium heat. Once melted, cook butter about 5 minutes, stirring constantly, until butter turns a deep golden brown. (Be careful because this happens quickly!) Remove saucepan from heat; immediately pour butter into glass measuring cup. Set aside to cool slightly.
• While butter is cooling, place sliced pears in single layer over cooled cookie crust.
• In large bowl, beat remaining Topping ingredients with whisk until well blended. Gradually add brown butter, beating until smooth. Pour mixture evenly over pears.
• Bake 40 to 45 minutes or until deep golden brown and toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely on cooling rack, about 1 hour. With sharp knife, cut into 4 rows by 3 rows.

THREE-TIER CANDIED-PECAN CAKE WITH BROWN-BUTTER PEARS

Steps:

• Candy the pecans: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Toss toasted pecans with butter, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, and nutmeg on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, stirring to coat halfway through, until toasted, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
• Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees. Make the cake: Butter three 8-inch round cake pans, and dust with flour, tapping out excess. Sift flour, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt into a bowl. Beat butter and 1 1/4 cups granulated sugar with a mixer on medium speed until pale and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add flour mixture in 3 additions, alternating with milk, beginning and ending with flour. Stir in candied pecans.
• Beat egg whites in a clean bowl with a mixer on high speed until frothy. Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, and beat until stiff peaks form. Gently fold one-third of the egg whites into the batter using a rubber spatula. Fold in remaining egg whites in 2 additions.
• Divide batter among pans. Bake until cakes are set and a toothpick inserted into the center of each comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Turn out cakes onto racks, and let cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the pear filling: Brown butter in a skillet over medium heat, about 5 minutes. Cook pears, stirring occasionally, until tender, about 6 minutes.
• Make the bourbon whipped cream: Whisk cream, bourbon, and confectioners' sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until soft peaks form.
• Trim tops of cakes to create a level surface using a serrated knife. Transfer 1 cake to a platter. Spread half the pears over the top. Top with another cake. Spread remaining pears over the top. Top with remaining cake. Spread whipped cream over the top. Garnish with chopped pecans.