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Toasted Sugar Vanilla Cake with Brown Butter Buttercream

Heather Smoke
Toasted sugar adds sweet caramel notes to this vanilla cake, complemented by rich and fluffy brown butter buttercream.

All recipes on Curly Girl Kitchen are developed for high altitude at 5,280 feet. See FAQs for adjusting to higher or lower elevations.

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Prep Time 1 hour
Cook Time 4 hours 30 minutes
Total Time 5 hours 30 minutes
Course Dessert
Cuisine American
Servings12

Ingredients
 

Cake

  • 1 ¾ cups toasted sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
  • 4 large eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla extract
  • 3 cups cake flour
  • 3 ½ tsp baking powder
  • 1 tsp coarse Kosher salt
  • 1 ¾ cups whole buttermilk

Buttercream

  • 2 ½ cups unsalted butter
  • 5 cups powdered sugar
  • 1 tbsp meringue powder (optional)
  • ¼ tsp coarse Kosher salt
  • 1 tbsp vanilla extract
  • 2-4 tbsp milk or cream, if needed

Instructions
 

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.

Notes

You can substitute regular granulated sugar for the toasted sugar in the cake batter, and it will still be delicious.
Leftover cake should be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
The cake can also be baked and frozen in advance.  Bake and cool the cakes, then wrap individually in plastic wrap, to freeze for several months.  The fully assembled and frosted can can also be frozen in a bakery box for up to one month.  Thaw in the refrigerator overnight, then bring to room temperature the next day before serving.
Keyword High Altitude, Toasted Sugar, Vanilla Cake
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