Browned Butter Pumpkin Cake with Salted Caramel Frosting

By PineyCook

This is the perfect cake for a Thanksgiving celebration, or if you are just looking for something delicious to bake this weekend I suggest trying out this cake!

Ingredients

• CAKE:
• 1 cup (8-ounces) unsalted butter, diced into 1 tablespoon pieces
• 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 3/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 2/3 cups canned pumpkin puree
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• CARAMEL SAUCE:
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup water
• 3/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
• 1/4 cup unsalted butter
• 2/3 cup heavy cream
• FROSTING:
• 3/4 cup (6-ounces) unsalted butter
• 3 1/4 cups powdered sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup caramel sauce (from above)
• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt, or to taste
• Chopped pecans, for garnish, optional

Details

Servings 8
Preparation time 140mins
Cooking time 170mins
Adapted from cookingclassy.com

Preparation

Step 1

CAKE:
Add butter to a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Melt butter and allow to brown, whisking occasionally (for how to see link here). Pour into a 4 cup bowl and allow to cool in refrigerator until creamy and nearly set, stirring occasionally about 2 hours. Alternately, chill fully overnight, then let rest at room temp until softened, about 20 - 30 minutes.

Preheat over to 350˚F. Butter two 9-inch cake pans, line with a round of parchment, butter parchment, and lightly dust pans with flour, shaking out excess. Wrap cake pans with cake strips if you have them. In a medium mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cloves for 20 seconds.

In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (I recommend using an attachment that constantly scrapes sides and bottom of bowl, otherwise stop mixer occasionally throughout entire mixing process and scrape down sides and bottom of bowl), whip together cooled browned butter with 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar until pale and fluffy. Mix in eggs one at a time adding in vanilla with last egg. In a bowl or liquid measuring cup mix together pumpkin and buttermilk. With mixer set on low speed add in 1/3 of the flour mixture (to the butter mixture) and mix just until combined then add in 1/2 of the pumpkin mixture and mix just until combined. Repeat process once more with flour and pumpkin mixture then finish by mixing in last 1/3 of the flour mixture until nearly combined, then stop mixer and fold batter with a spatula to evenly incorporate. Divide batter amoung two prepared baking pans and spread batter into an even layer. Bake in preheated oven 25 - 30 minutes until toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Meanwhile, prepare and chill caramel sauce.

CARAMEL SAUCE:
Have all caramel ingredients ready. In a medium saucepan combine sugar, water and sea salt. Set over medium-high heat and whisk constantly until it begins to boil, then allow mixture to boil until it turns to a rich amber color, carefully swirling pan occasionally. Immediately whisk in butter then remove from heat and whisk in cream (be careful, it will steam! A long handled whisk is recommend) and stir until smooth. Allow to cool several minutes then pour into a glass bowl or jar and chill caramel until completely cooled.

FROSTING:
Whip butter until light and fluffy. Add powdered sugar, 1/2 cup of the cooled caramel sauce, sea salt and vanilla. Mix until well combined and slightly fluffy. Chill until it becomes a more firm consistency if needed. Spread over cake and drizzle some of the remaining caramel sauce over cake just before serving. Sprinkle with pecans if desired.