Brown Butter Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese

Brown Butter Pumpkin Spice Cake with Cream Cheese Buttercream

cake

• • 1 cup unsalted butter

  • 2 cups, plus 2 tablespoons, all-purpose flour

  • 1 1/4 teaspoons baking soda

  • 1 teaspoon salt

  • 2 teaspoons cinnamon

  • 2 teaspoons ground ginger

  • 1/2 teaspoon cloves

  • 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg

  • 1 can (14 ounces) pumpkin

  • 1 1/3 cups brown sugar

  • 4 eggs

  • 1/2 cup buttermilk

  • 1 teaspoon vanilla

buttercream

• • 1 cup cream cheese, room temperature

  • 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature

  • 5 cups powdered sugar

  • 1 tablespoon meringue powder

  • 1/8 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt

  • 2 teaspoons vanilla

  • 2-4 tablespoons milk or cream, if needed

Cake.

Preheat the oven to 350. Spray the bottoms only of three 8-inch cake pans with non-stick spray.

In a saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Cook the butter, swirling occasionally, until nutty brown solids form on the bottom of the pan; remove from the heat and let cool for a few minutes.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, salt and spices. In a separate bowl, whisk together the pumpkin, brown sugar, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla. Whisk the flour mixture into the wet ingredients, then whisk in the browned butter until smooth.

Divide the batter between the pans. Bake until the centers of the cakes spring back, and a toothpick comes out clean, about 22-26 minutes. Cool in the pans, on a wire rack, covered loosely with a clean kitchen towel.

Buttercream.

In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the cream cheese and butter for 1 minute until smooth. With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar, meringue powder, salt and vanilla until combined. Increase speed to medium and whip for 3-5 minutes until very light and fluffy, scraping the bowl down several times, and only adding the milk if needed for desired consistency.

Frost the cooled cakes with the buttercream.

Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen