High Altitude Brown Butter Pecan Cake
A rich and buttery cake that's made with brown butter and brown sugar, spiced with cinnamon and nutmeg, and full of crunchy pecans.
All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.
Equipment
- Stand Mixer with Paddle Attachment
Ingredients
Cake
- 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, browned and cooled to a room temperature solid
- 1 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour, fluffed, spooned and leveled
- 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 1 ¼ tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 ⅓ cups whole milk
- ⅔ cup full-fat sour cream
- 1 cup pecans, lightly toasted, cooled and finely chopped
Buttercream
- 2 ½ cups unsalted butter, browned and cooled to a room temperature solid
- 4-5 cups powdered sugar
- 1 tbsp meringue powder (optional)
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ¼ tsp ground nutmeg
- 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt (if using table salt, use half the amount)
- 4-5 tbsp milk or cream, if needed for desired consistency
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- ⅔ cup chopped, lightly toasted, cooled, and finely chopped
Instructions
Getting Ready
- To make the browned butter for both the cake and the buttercream, place 2 lbs of butter (4 cups or 8 "sticks") in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook the butter, swirling occasionally, until nutty brown solids form at the bottom of the pan. Scrape into a bowl and refrigerate until solid, then set out to soften to room temperature before using (this step can be done a day in advance).After browning the butter, you’ll find that it has reduced a little and you’ll have slightly less than what you started with. Measure out 1 1/2 cups for the cake first , and use the remaining 2 – 2 1/2 cups for the buttercream.
- To toast the pecans for the cake and buttercream, spread the pecans out onto a baking sheet. Toast in a 300-degree oven for 4-6 minutes, until fragrant and hot. Let cool before chopping and adding to the other ingredients. I prefer to use my food processor for a pretty fine chop on the pecans.
Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350 F, and position a rack in the center of the oven. Spray the bottoms of three 8-inch cake pans with non-stick baking spray, line with circles of parchment paper, then spray the paper as well. Set aside.
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar on medium speed for 3-4 minutes, until fluffy, scraping the bowl down several times. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and the vanilla. Scrape down the bowl and beat for 30 more seconds.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, salt, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and chopped pecans. In another bowl or a liquid measuring cup, combine the milk and sour cream.
- With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture to the mixing bowl in 3 additions, alternating with the milk and sour cream, starting and ending with the flour, mixing just until moistened.
- Pour batter into the pans. Bake cakes for 28-35 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in the pans on a wire rack, covered loosely with a clean kitchen towel. Note that this cake tends to rise flat across the top, not with a tall dome in the middle. It does not rise significantly, but do not increase the baking powder, or your cake will sink.
Buttercream
- In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the butter until smooth. In a separate bowl, combine the powdered sugar (starting with 4 cups), meringue powder, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. With the mixer on low, add the powdered sugar mixture by spoonfuls.
- Add the milk/cream and vanilla and increase speed to medium high, whipping until very light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Add the 5th cup of powdered sugar only if needed for desired consistency. Fold in the chopped pecans.
- Stack and fill the cooled cakes with the buttercream, then frost all over with a thin crumb coat of buttercream. Chill for 30 minutes, then finish with a final swirly coat of buttercream. Before the buttercream crusts over, decorate the cake with an extra sprinkling of chopped pecans.
Notes
The cake should be stored in an airtight container or cake carrier at room temperature for up to 3 days. It can also be baked and frosted in advance, and frozen for 3-6 months in an airtight container.
For half the recipe, use three 6-inch cake pans, baking the cakes for 25-28 minutes.
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