Brown butter cake is a moist cake made with rich brown butter. It’s topped with brown butter brown sugar cream cheese frosting! This easy one-layer cake is perfect for both weeknights and holidays!
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It only takes a few minutes to brown butter, but it’s so worth it! Brown butter adds a rich depth of flavor to both this brown butter cake! Combine it with brown sugar cream cheese frosting for the ultimate flavor combination.
I sometimes can’t be bothered to make a full layer cake. That’s why I made this single-layer simple browned butter cake recipe. It’s quick and easy but still looks amazing and tastes delicious!
This cake is full of cozy, warm flavor. I adapted the recipe from my reader favorite browned butter cupcakes. It’s perfect for fall just like my pumpkin spice olive oil cake and biscoff chocolate cake.
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Why You Will Love This Recipe
- Flavorful cake made with brown butter and hinted with vanilla and cinnamon. If you’re a big brown butter fan, try these brown butter rice krispies treats and blueberry cornmeal cake recipe.
- Brown butter and brown sugar make the most delicious combination!
- This cake is easy enough to make on a weeknight. It’s also special enough for holidays just like my ricotta cranberry cake!
Ingredients
Below are useful notes about some of the ingredients for this browned butter cake recipe.
- Butter: Use unsalted butter. You can start with butter straight from the fridge since the butter will be melted then browned. Browning the butter only takes minutes but adds a nice toasty, nutty flavor.
- Brown Sugar: Use light or dark brown sugar. Make sure your brown sugar is fresh so that it doesn’t have hard lumps.
- Sour Cream and milk: Use full fat, room temperature sour cream and room temperature whole milk.
- Cinnamon: Cinnamon adds warm flavor. It tastes so good with brown butter!
- Cream cheese: Use full fat, block style, room temperature cream cheese for the frosting.
Please see recipe card below for full list of ingredients and measurements.
Substitutions & Variations
- Instead of whole milk, swap in 2% milk.
Instructions
Step 1: (Photo 1 above) Add the butter for both the cake and frosting to a skillet over medium low heat. Stir occasionally. Once the butter starts to sputter, whisk for about 4 minutes. The butter will start to foam. Next, you’ll notice little bits at the bottom of the skillet. When the bits become light brown and the butter begins changing color, remove the skillet from heat. Pour into a heat safe bowl. Measure out the butter for the cake batter and frosting. Set aside.
Step 2: (Photo 2 above) Whisk to combine the dry ingredients and sugar.
Step 3: (Photo 3 above) In a medium bowl, mix together the egg, slightly cooled brown butter, oil, vanilla, sour cream and milk.
Step 4: (Photo 4 above)Stir half the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix in the other half of the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined
Step 5: (Photo 5 above) Pour batter in an 8 or 9 inch round pan. Bake at 350 F for 35-42 minutes til a cake tester comes out clean.
Step 6: (Photo 6 above) Mix the cream cheese and room temperature brown butter. Mix in the brown sugar and vanilla. Gradually add the powdered sugar. Frost the cooled cake and enjoy!
Expert Tips
- Use fresh brown sugar. Brown sugar can get hard lumps if it’s not fresh. These lumps are harder to dissolve into the frosting.
- Make sure to use room temperature cream cheese and butter for the frosting.
Recipe FAQs
Brown butter is butter that’s melted and cooked until golden. The milk solids separate while it cooks and develop a warm, nutty flavor.
An offset spatula is the best tool for frosting cakes! It’s designed for spreading frosting.
Store the frosted cake covered in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. Allow the cake to come to room temperature before serving. Since the frosting is made with cream cheese, the cake should be stored in the refrigerator.
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Brown Butter Cake
Ingredients
Brown Butter Cake
- 10 tablespoons unsalted butter browned, cooled slightly, measure out 1/2 cup after browning, see recipe notes below
- 1 cup brown sugar light or dark, packed
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 1 large egg room temperature
- ⅓ cup sour cream room temperature
- ½ cup whole milk room temperature
- 1⅓ cups all purpose flour
- ½ teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cinnamon
Brown Butter Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
- 4½ ounces cream cheese full fat, brick style, room temperature
- 5 tablespoons unsalted butter browned then measure out 3 tablespoons then set aside til it's solid but room temperature* see notes about brown butter
- ½ cup brown sugar light or dark
- 1¾ cups powdered sugar sifted
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
Brown Butter
- Brown the butter for both the batter and frosting together. Some of the water in butter evaporates when it browns, so we'll use a little extra butter to start with. Start with 13 tablespoons of butter then measure out what we need after browning.
- Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-low heat. Stir occasionally at first. Once begins to bubble and comes to a boil, stir it constantly. It will start to foam. Continue stirring as you watch for it to turn a light, amber color and develop a nutty smell which should happen in about five minutes.
- Pour the brown butter into a heat safe bowl or glass measuring cup. Make sure to scrape the pan with a spatula to get all the brown bits as well. Next, divide the butter into one portion for the cake batter and one portion to use later in the frosting.
- Pour/spoon 3 tablespoons of brown butter in a small bowl (make sure to get some of the brown bits in this portion). Set this aside at room temperature or place in the fridge. Stir occasionally as it cools so that the brown butter bits are distributed throughout. Allow butter to cool til solidy but still room temperature.
- Next, scoop out 1/2 cup of the brown butter into a heat safe bowl (make sure to get some of the brown bits in this as well). Set this butter aside at room temperature and use in the cake batter once it has cooled slightly. It doesn't need to be solid, but just cooled slightly. Continue with the recipe.
Brown Butter Cake
- Spray an 8 inch round cake pan with baking spray. Line with a round of parchment paper. Spray the parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 Fahrenheit.
- In a medium mixing bowl, whisk the brown sugar, flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together and set aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, slightly cooled 1/2 cup of brown butter, vanilla, sour cream and milk.
- Use a spatula to stir in half of the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Mix in the other half of the dry ingredients. Stir until just combined. Do not overmix.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Spread evenly with an offset spatula. Bake 35-40 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the center of the cake.
- Place the cake pan on a wire rack. Allow to cool completely. Once cooled, run a knife along the edge of the pan to make sure it is not sticking. Remove cake from pan. Make sure cake is completely cool before frosting.
Brown Butter Brown Sugar Cream Cheese Frosting
- In a large bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix the cream cheese and 3 tablespoons of room temperature brown butter on medium speed for one minute until creamed and combined. (The brown butter for the frosting shouldn't be liquid but should be softened room temperature).
- Add the brown sugar and mix on medium for another minute. Mix in the vanilla then turn the mixer on low and gradually mix in the powdered sugar.
- Place cake upside down on your serving board. (The bottom is smoother and more even).
- Use a spatula or an offset spatula to spread the frosting evenly over the cake. Sprinkle with brown sugar before serving, if desired, for decoration.
Notes
Nutrition
Please note that nutritional values are created by an online calculator and should only be used as an estimate.
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