Does anyone else find themselves baking more? It’s usually my favorite way to cook during the winter months but somehow this quarantine life has brought baking to another level. Scrolling through Instagram one day I found this recipe courtesy of Williams Sonoma and I just had to try. Baking bread is so not my fortē but, oh-my-gawd is this one good! Coupled with a piping hot cup of Joe or tea and you’ve got the perfect breakfast/afternoon treat!
The original recipe calls for a side of Strawberry-Rhubarb Compote to spread on slices of the cake. But I chose to forgo making it and instead used one of my favorite jams from Stonewall Kitchen. The Strawberry Champagne Jam is sooo good that you don’t need to go through the extra hassle of making the compote unless you so choose. It’s been one of my faves that I use over and over again and this time it was the perfect compliment to the butter pound cake.
BROWN BUTTER POUND CAKE
INGREDIENTS:
- 2 sticks unsalted butter
- 1 1/4 cups cake flour
- 1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 3 whole eggs PLUS 3 egg yolks
- 1 cup PLUS 1 Tbs. sugar
- 1 tsp. vanilla extract
DIRECTIONS:
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Reduce heat to low and gently simmer, swirling the pan often, until the butter is browned and smells nutty, 12 to 15 minutes. Strain the butter through a fine-mesh sieve into a small bowl and let cool.
Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a bowl. In the bowl of a stand mixer, (or separate bowl and hand mixer), beat all the eggs, 1 cup of sugar and the vanilla on medium-high speed until pale and thick, 2 to 3 minutes. Reduce speed to low and add the dry ingredients in 2 batches. Increase speed and drizzle in all but 2 Tbs. of the brown butter. Beat until combined, scrape and pour the batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 40 minutes, rotating halfway through. Brush the top with the remaining brown butter and sprinkle with the 1 Tbs. sugar. Continue baking until a toothpick inserted comes out clean, 10 to 15 minutes longer. Let cool in the pan on a wire rack for 30 minutes. Slice and enjoy with jam or choice of fruit compote.
When you brown the butter it ends up having a flavor and aroma very much like toasted hazelnuts. It also has a fuller, deeper flavor and color that plain butter just doesn’t give. In this plush pound cake, the nuttiness of the butter is complemented by the fabulous jam or any fruity springtime compote. Enjoy!
RECOMMENDED ITEMS
