Toasted Sugar Vanilla Cake
Cake.
1 3/4 cups toasted sugar (or plain granulated sugar)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
3 cups cake flour
3 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
1 3/4 cups whole buttermilk
Buttercream.
2 1/2 cups unsalted butter
5 cups powdered sugar
1 tablespoon meringue powder
1/4 teaspoon coarse Kosher salt
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2-4 tablespoons milk or cream, if needed
Cake.
Preheat the oven to 350, and spray three 8-inch cake pans with non-stick spray.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the sugar and butter on medium speed for about 10 minutes, scraping the bowl several times, until very light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating each for 30 seconds before adding the next. Scrape the bowl down and beat for another 30 seconds.
In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the buttermilk, starting and ending with the flour. Mix just until combined, and a little flour remains, then use a spatula to finish folding the flour into the batter.
Divide the batter between the pans. Bake for about 25-27 minutes, until a cake tester comes out clean.
Set the pans on a wire rack, cover loosely with a clean kitchen towel and cool completely before frosting.
Buttercream.
Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Continue to cook the butter, swirling occasionally, until it gets foamy and nutty golden brown solids form at the bottom of the pan. Immediately pour the butter, scraping all the solids from the bottom of the pan, into a bowl. Set aside to cool at room temperature for several hours until it returns to a solid.
In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter for one minute.
With the mixer on low, gradually add the powdered sugar, meringue powder and salt, mixing until combined, but clumpy. Add the vanilla, and increase speed to medium, whipping the butter for 5 minutes, scraping the bowl occasionally, until very light and fluffy. Add the milk only if needed for desired consistency.
Assembly.
Stack and fill the cooled cakes with the buttercream, then frost all over with a thin crumb coat of buttercream. Refrigerate for 20 minutes.
Fit a piping bag with a large open star tip (Wilton #), and fill with buttercream. Starting at the bottom of the cake, pipe vertical rows of buttercream, up, and down, only releasing the tip at the bottom of the cake.
Recipe from Curly Girl Kitchen