Browned Butter Crunch Cake Recipes

OUTRAGEOUSLY BUTTERY CRUMB CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 12x18-inch jellyroll pan.
• Beat the yellow cake mix, water, eggs, and 1/2 cup softened butter together with an electric mixer in a mixing bowl until thoroughly blended, about 2 minutes on medium speed. Pour the cake batter into the prepared jellyroll pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until the edges of the cake are light brown but the middle of the cake is still slightly gooey, 15 to 17 minutes.
• While the cake is baking, mix together the brown sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract, butter, and flour together in a large bowl until the mixture forms medium crumbs. Remove the cake from the oven, and press about 3/4 of the crumb topping onto the top of the almost-baked cake. Reserve the remaining topping.
• Return the cake to the oven, and bake an additional 10 to 12 minutes, until the crumb topping is firm and the cake is cooked all the way through.
• Remove the cake from the oven, and sprinkle with the remaining crumb topping. Let the cake cool to room temperature, and sprinkle with confectioners' sugar.

WILLIAMS-SONOMA'S BROWN BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Have all the ingredients at room temperature.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then cook until the solids separate and settle on the pan bottom, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Continue to cook until the solids brown and are almost burnt, 18 to 20 minutes more.
• Pour the brown butter into a bowl, leaving the solids in the pan (discard the solids).
• Let the butter cool at room temperature until firm.
• The brown butter can be prepared up to 2 days in advance; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Bring to room temperature before using.
• Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325°F
• Brush the pan with unsalted vegetable shortening and lightly flour.
• Tap out excess flour.
• Over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• In a small bowl, combine the milk and vanilla.
• Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the brown butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture and beginning and ending with the flour.
• Beat each addition just until incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, dividing it evenly between the two halves. Bake until the center of the cake springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.
• Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
• Tap the pan gently on a work surface to loosen the cake.
• Set the rack over the top of the cake, invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan.
• Let the cake cool completely, 3 to 4 hours, before assembling and decorating with vanilla buttercream.
• If you're using a 9x13 pan:.
• Butter and flour pan.
• Spoon cake mix into pan and smooth out.
• Bake at 325°F for 30-45 minutes, using a toothpick to test doneness.
• Cool for 15 minutes and remove from pan; setting cake on cooling rack to cool completely.
• Frost as desired.

BROWNED BUTTER POUND CAKE

Steps:

• In a medium light-colored skillet, melt 16 tablespoons (2 sticks) of the butter over medium-high heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally, until the milk solids are golden brown and the butter smells nutty, 4 to 6 minutes. Immediately transfer the butter to a large bowl (this will be for the cake batter); be sure to scrape out the browned bits from the bottom of the skillet. Wipe the skillet out and repeat the same process with the remaining 3 tablespoons butter. Transfer the butter to a medium bowl (this will be for the glaze). Set both bowls aside until the butter has solidified to the texture of softened butter.
• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 4 1/2- by 8 1/2-inch loaf pan.
• To prepare the cake, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl and set aside. Add the granulated sugar to the 2 sticks of browned butter and beat the mixture with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating after each addition. Then add the vanilla bean seeds. Beat in the flour mixture just until combined. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.
• Bake until the cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs attached, 60 to 70 minutes. Transfer the cake to a rack to cool for 20 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and let cool completely.
• Add the cream cheese to the 3 tablespoons browned butter and beat with an electric mixer on medium until fluffy. Beat in the confectioners' sugar. Add enough milk to the mixture to make a thick but pourable glaze. Top the cooled cake with the glaze before slicing.

BROWN-BUTTER POUNDCAKE

Steps:

• Brown the butter: Melt the butter in a small skillet set over medium heat. (Use a skillet with a light interior so you can easily see the milk solids change color.) Cook the butter, stirring occasionally and scraping the milk solids off the bottom and sides of the pan as needed, until the milk solids turn golden brown and smell toasty, about 2 minutes. Transfer the butter to a small bowl and refrigerate until slightly firm and creamy looking but not totally hardened, about 30 to 60 minutes. (It should be the texture of a softened stick of butter.)
• Heat oven to 350 degrees with a rack set in the center. Butter an 8-by-4-inch loaf pan and line it with a strip of parchment paper that hangs over the two long sides.
• Add the hazelnuts to the bowl of a food processor and pulse until finely ground. Add the flour and baking powder, and pulse to combine.
• Combine the chilled browned butter, sugar, lemon zest and salt in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or use a large bowl and electric hand mixer. Mix on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, stopping the mixer once or twice to scrape down the sides of the bowl and paddle, about 5 minutes.
• Add the eggs one at time, completely mixing each egg in before adding the next.
• With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk, beginning and ending with the flour. Stop the mixer occasionally to scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl to ensure the batter is evenly mixed.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, smooth the top, and bake until golden and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 65 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for about 15 minutes, then use the parchment paper to lift it out of the pan and onto a rack to cool completely.
• When the cake is cool, make the glaze: Whisk the confectioners' sugar and 2 tablespoons lemon juice until smooth. Add a bit more juice if necessary to make a pourable but opaque glaze. Drizzle the glaze over the cooled loaf and let it set for about 15 minutes before slicing. Store the cake covered, at room temperature, for about 4 days.

BUTTER-CRUNCH TOPPING

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the flour and brown sugar; cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Add coconut and nuts. Spread in a greased 15x10x1-in. baking pan. Bake at 400° for 10-15 minutes or until golden brown, stirring occasionally. Cool. Store in the refrigerator. Top ice cream with apple pie filling; sprinkle with topping.