Brown Butter Pumpkin Layer Cake

 I have a whole load of pumpkins in my house leftover from pumpkin carving. I was sitting there the other day trying to figure out what to do with them so they don't go to waste when I realized I had scanned a number of recipes from my friend D's scads of Fine Cooking magazines and surely one of them used pumpkin! Sure enough, I found this recipe for pumpkin brown butter cake. The recipe was a bit of work, but if you make it over a couple of days, it is definitely do-able without exhuasting yourself.

 I was so pleasantly surprised by the amazing flavour and texture of this cake. My friend D and her hubby dubbed this to be one of the best cakes they've ever eaten and I would have to agree!! Its awesome! Try it out this weekend - it is worth the effort. Make sure you have someone to share it with though - it makes a lot of cake!!

 Brown Butter Pumpkin Layer Cake
Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine (Finecooking.com)

Ingredients:

•  1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree (buy it canned, or make your own)
• 6 oz unsalted butter
• 9 oz all purpose flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp ground ginger
• 3/4 tsp fine salt
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2/3 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 2 large eggs
• 1/3 cup buttermilk
• 1 recipe of topping (see recipe below)
• 1 recipe of frosting (see recipe below)

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Butter and flour two nine inch cake pans, line the bottoms with parchment paper and butter the parchment.
2. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally until he butter turns a nutty golden-brown - watch it carefully to ensure it doesn't burn. Pour into a small bowl and let stand until cool but not set, about 15 minutes.
3. In a medium bowl, whick the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves. In a large bowl whisk 1 1/2 cups of pumpkin puree with the sugar and brown sugar, eggs, and buttermilk until very well blended. With a rubber spatula, stir in flour mixture until just combined. Gently whisk in the brown butter until completely incorporated. Divide mixture evenly among the pans.
4. Bake the cakes until a tester inserted into the cakes comes out clean - about 28 minutes. Let the cakes cool in the pans for 10 minutes. Turn the cakes out onto cooling racks and peel parchment from the top. Allow to cool completely.
5. To assemble the cake, put one cake layer on a cake plate. Spread 1/2 cup of the frosting onto the top of the cake layer and sprinkle with 1/2 cup of the topping. Top with the second cake layer. Frost the top and sides with the remaining frosting. Arrange the remaining topping in a ring 1 1/2 inches from the edge of the cake. Serve immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to two days. Serve at room temperature.

 Nut Topping
Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds
• 1/3 cup walnuts
• 1/2 cup roasted pepitas
• 2 tbsp firmly packed brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp fine salt
• 1 1/2 tbsp crystallized ginger

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a heavy 12 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add nuts and pepitas and cook until nuts begin to brown and pepitas begin to pop. Sprinkle in brown sugar and salt and stir until the sugar melts and the nuts are glazed. Stir in the ginger. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool in the skillet.

Frosting
Recipe adapted from Fine Cooking Magazine

Ingredients:

• 4 oz unsalted butter
• 8 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 5 oz icing sugar

Method:

1. Melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally until the butter turns a nutty golden, brown. Pour into small bowl and let stand until the solids settle at the bottom of the bowl, about 5 minutes. Carefully transfer the bowl to the freezer and chill until firm, about 18 minutes. Using a spoon, carefully scrape butter from the bowl, leaving the browned solids at the bottom, discard the solids.
2. Using an electric mixer, beat the butter and the cream cheese and brown sugar on medium high speed until light in colour and brown sugar has dissolved. Gradually beat in the icing sugar and continue beating until fluffy, 1-2 minutes. 

I've linked this post up with Whatcha Baking Wednesdays over at Cajun Sugar Pie. Head over there to check out some of the other yummy desserts fellow food bloggers baked up this week. :)

I hope you enjoy this cake like we did!

Happy Thanksgiving weekend to my American readers!! Hope you have a wonderful holiday weekend.

Happy Baking my Friends!