Brown Butter Layer Cake with Salted Bourbon Buttercream is a rich, decadent dessert that will wow your friends and family.
Before I talk about life and about this cake, I’d love to tell you about a workshop I’ll be attending in May. There are still a few more spaces available! I’ll be joining Eva from Adventures in Cooking and Carey from Reclaiming Provincial in Cape Cod for a food styling, photography and cheese making workshop! We’d love for you to join us so please take a moment to check out the event.
On a more personal note, I’ve been struggling over the past month which is why it has been so quiet around here. I’m tired, both physically and mentally. And I just can’t seem to keep up with things anymore. There’s pressure. I feel pressure to blog so I don’t lose my audience, pressure to create content for the book with this ever looming deadline, pressure to continue exercising so I don’t fall out of the habit.
There’s pressure to get our grocery budget down and use everything in the fridge, because food waste is a terrible thing. I’ve tried taking breaks and rests and mini vacations. I’m still tired.
I’ve recently begun to suspect that increasing my exercise might actually be the culprit so I’ve been adding vitamins, increasing my water intake and am seeing a doctor at the end of this week to see if he has any other insight into to what might be causing this prolonged fatigue. Maybe it’s blood sugar related. I kept assuming it was just pressure from life but I think it’s time to rule out the medical stuff because it has been a month and I’m getting very behind on life.
As I’ve said in the past, I find layer cakes relaxing. Preparing, decorating and photographing this cake during an energy slump was an achievement which I’m happy to share it.
If you’re new to meringue buttercreams, they can be a bit trickier to prepare than American style buttercream, at least in the beginning. However, the results are SO worth it. The frosting is incredibly light and fluffy, with just the right level of sweetness. I can never go back.
Check out this post to learn more:
What is Buttercream + Troubleshooting Tips
Brown Butter Layer Cake with Salted Bourbon Buttercream
Ingredients
Brown butter cake
- 4 ounces unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- 10 1/2 ounces all-purpose flour
- 3 ounces cornstarch (9 tablespoons)
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 cup half-and-half (or 50% heavy cream and 50% whole milk)
- 2 tablespoons bourbon
- 2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract
- 8 ounces unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 3/4 cups granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
Salted bourbon buttercream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 5 large egg whites
- 16 ounces unsalted butter, cubed and at room temperature
- 3 - 4 tablespoons bourbon or to taste
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt or to taste
Instructions
Prepare the cakes:
- Melt the 4 ounces of butter in a medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. As the butter melts, whisk it frequently until foam begins to appear. Once you see the foam, whisk constantly until the butter begins to brown and it smells nutty and fragrant. Butter can go from brown to burnt very quickly so do not leave it unattended. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. There should be approximately 1/2 cup liquid. Set aside.
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place an oven rack in the middle position. Lightly spray the bottom of 3 8-inch cake pans with baking spray and then cover them with parchment rounds. Set aside.
- Whisk together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl. In a separate small bowl, combine the half and half, bourbon and vanilla extract.
- In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the 8 ounces room temperature butter and sugar together on low speed for 3-4 minutes, then turn the heat up to medium-high and cream for an additional 2-3 minutes. On low speed, add the eggs, one at a time, allowing each egg to incorporate before adding the next. Scrape down the sides of the bowl. With the mixer still on low speed, quickly alternate between adding the dry ingredients, the browned butter (make sure to scrape out the brown bits), and the liquid ingredients (ending with the dry) until just combined. Scrape down the sides well, making sure to reach the bottom of the bowl.
- Distribute the batter evenly between the 3 prepared cake pans, using a spatula to even out the tops. If you want to make sure the cakes are very even in size use a kitchen scale.
- Bake until the a toothpick comes out of the center of each cake clean, approximately 32-37 minutes. Allow the cakes to cool completely in the pan before removing.
Prepare the buttercream:
- Place the sugar and water in saucepan with a tight fitting lid. Turn the heat on high and cover.
- While the sugar syrup is heating up, place the egg whites in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until a soft peak forms, then turn down the speed to medium.
- Once the sugar syrup is simmering, remove the cover from the pan and turn the heat down slightly to medium high. Cook the syrup for 5 minutes (until a candy thermometer reached 235-240 degrees F) and then slowly and carefully pour it down the side of the mixing bowl into the meringue while the machine is still mixing. Add the syrup very slowly to avoid scrambling the eggs.
- Once the syrup is added, turn the mixer back up to high and allow the meringue to cool as it whips. This can take up to 20 minutes.
- Once the meringue has cooled to room temperature, slowly add the butter one piece at a time. The meringue will deflate slightly.
- Once all of the butter is incorporated, slowly drizzle in the bourbon and sprinkle in the salt. You can push these flavors as much as you like.
Assemble the cake:
- Place the first layer of cake on a revolving cake stand and remove the parchment paper. Placing a cardboard round below the cake is optional but will make transporting the cake easier after it is assembled.
- Spread approximately one cup of buttercream on the cake and spread it around evenly with an offset spatula. Add more buttercream as needed to reached the desired thickness. Repeat with the second and third layer (don't forget to remove the parchment each time). Use an offset spatula to apply a thin layer of frosting to the side and top of the cake. Chill in the refrigerator for 30 minutes to set this first layer of buttercream. Cover the entire cake with a final layer of frosting.
- Cake is best when served at room temperature.
Please read my full post for additional recipe notes, tips, and serving suggestions!
Nutrition
Recipe Troubleshooting
For immediate help troubleshooting a recipe, please email me using the form on my contact page. I’ll try to respond to urgent questions as quickly as possible! For all general questions, please leave a comment here :)
Wonderful recipe, thank you so much for posting. I made it as a birthday cake for my husband, and it turned out perfectly!
Well, the cake is delicious. Don’t bother attempting the frosting unless you already know how to make meringue, because it’s a massive pain in the ass if you’re not already a fancy baker.