Description
This Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake is a moist, flavorful dessert filled with warm autumn spices, pumpkin puree, and a rich brown butter base. Topped with a creamy vanilla bean cream cheese buttercream, it’s the perfect fall treat.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup unsalted butter
- 1 can (15 oz) pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
- ½ cup light or dark brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- ½ cup whole buttermilk
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 1 ¼ tsp baking soda
- 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (or half the amount if using table salt)
- 1 ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp ground ginger
- ½ tsp ground cloves
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 8 oz cream cheese, softened to room temperature
- 8 oz unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
- 5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp meringue powder (optional)
- ⅛ tsp coarse Kosher salt (or half the amount if using table salt)
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla bean paste (or 2 tsp vanilla extract)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease three 8-inch cake pans.
- In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Swirl occasionally and cook for about 10 minutes until it becomes golden brown and fragrant. Let it cool for 10 minutes.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add the cooled brown butter and mix until smooth.
- In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and nutmeg.
- Gradually add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and whisk until fully combined.
- Divide the batter evenly among the prepared pans and bake for 22-25 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for 10 minutes before transferring them to a wire rack to cool completely.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cream cheese and butter for 1 minute. Gradually add powdered sugar, meringue powder, salt, and vanilla bean paste. Beat for 3-4 minutes until fluffy and smooth.
- Once the cakes have cooled, frost with the cream cheese buttercream, stacking the layers and applying a thin crumb coat. Chill the cake for 30 minutes, then frost with a final layer of buttercream.
Notes
- Ensure the brown butter cools to room temperature before adding it to the batter to prevent it from cooking the eggs.
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge and let the cake come to room temperature before serving.
- This cake can be made a day ahead and stored in the fridge.
- For a gluten-free version, substitute the all-purpose flour with a gluten-free 1:1 flour blend.
- Prep Time: 25 minutes
- Cook Time: 22-25 minutes
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 slice (1/16th of the cake)
- Calories: 350
- Sugar: 35g
- Sodium: 200mg
- Fat: 20g
- Saturated Fat: 12g
- Unsaturated Fat: 7g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 40g
- Fiber: 2g
- Protein: 3g
- Cholesterol: 60mg