Thursday, November 11, 2010

Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake With Cinnamon Brown Sugar Buttercream

Sometimes its possible to have too much of a good thing. You'll know you've reached that point when theres none left. Thats how it is around here every fall; pumpkin pumpkin pumpkin. Charisse is actually quite mad for pumpkin and looks forward to this time of year all summer (at least when she's not trying to get away with humming Christmas carols in July). We generally stock up on enough canned pumpkin products to last us through the summer. In reality they last until about May. We're especially fond of our friend Jen when she whips up her famous pumpkin pie bars while we watch the Sharks. Maybe if everyone asks, she'll share her recipe with you all this year, its probably the best thing you can serve in a baking pan. This post though is the story of our pumpkin cake which we made for the Halloween dinner party at Charisse's parents house. Every Halloween they have a big dinner party full of eating and drinking and being spooky and its become a tradition to wander down to the little fair the church on the corner puts on every year. This year Charisse won herself a goldfish which we promptly had to carry around all night in a little plastic baggy. The temptation to reenact the scene from "Finding Nemo" was huge, but never safe for the little fish. Anyways, we were in charge of bringing a dessert and pumpkin was obviously on the brain. We started our planing  thinking about a pumpkin pie, but someone else was already bringing one. About that time Charisse came across some cake sprinkles shaped like fall leaves and decided right then and there that we would bring a cake. With cinnamon and ginger added to the pumpkin this cake came out amazingly moist and delicious but the real kicker, the thing that made it a cake to remember was the frosting. We learned our lesson from the "cup" cake incident so Charisse pulled this pumpkiney delight together with a brilliant cinnamon and brown sugar buttercream icing, which instantly became Eric's favorite icing ever. Keeping him off the cake before it even left the house was nearly impossible. Stopping everyone from diving into it before we could actually photograph a slice? Impossible. 










Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake 
What You Will Need

3/4 cup unsalted butter
2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp  cinnamon
1 tsp ground ginger
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 1/2 cups sugar
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup buttermilk
1 1/2 cups pumpkin puree 

Preheat the oven to 350* and butter and flour two round cake pans. I used my 9 inch pans. 

In a skillet, melt the butter and swirl until it turns a golden brown and set aside to cool off a bit. 

In a bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt and cloves. In another bowl whisk together the pumpkin, sugars, eggs, and buttermilk until smooth. Add the dry ingredients and mix. Gently stir in the brown butter and divide between the two cake pans. Bake for about 30-40 minutes or until a knife inserted into the center comes out clean. Let cool for about 15 minutes, turn out onto a cooling rack and let cool completely before frosting.  

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Buttercream
What You Will Need

2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup shortening
2/3 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
6 cups powered sugar
6 Tbs milk

Whip the butter and shortening together until well blended, add in sugar and cinnamon. Alternate 1 cup powered sugar and 1 Tbs milk until all is incorporated and you get the consistency of buttercream you want. 

37 comments:

  1. sounds absolutely delicious! I love cinnamon buttercream frosting. I bet I would love this cake :)

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  2. Your cake sounds magnificently delicious, and looks beautiful! I have those same leaf sprinkles, but I haven't done a thing with them yet. Thanks for the inspiration!

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  3. I have to tell you, I'm not a big fan of pumpkin in cakes and pies. Nevertheless I'm drooling. My attention was caught by the buttercream. Cinnamon brown sugar buttercream? I don't think there can be a better icing for a cake! And you did such a great job at decorating it...I'm not very good at that.

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  4. I'm not a cake fan but I am a big fan of pumkin. This cake could totaly covert me. I love cinnamon! Take me away....and the sprinkles...adorable!

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  5. This cake looks gorgeous! A pumpkin cake sounds so wonderful, especially with that cinnamon icing!

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  6. This looks AMAZING. :) Esp love those adorable little sprinkles on top! Lovely cake, perfect for fall. Great to meet you in person last weekend at Foodbuzz Fest!

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  7. You sould get a medal for this cake;looking so good, I can almost taaste it.
    Rita

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  8. It looks awesome it also looks like something I can make without messing up which is always a plus lol I just wish I could make them look as pretty as your picture :)

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  9. Yummy! That frosting looks and sounds super-awesome!

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  10. Looks wonderful! The frosting is simply irresistible.

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  11. This cake looks great! I can never get my icing go smoothly over the cake like this.

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  12. Was this on the cover of the most recent Fine Cooking? I am planning on making it for my annual gluhwein party! Brown butter ANYTHING is fabulous!

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  13. Wow, that cake looks delicious. And does Brian Marchment still play for the Sharks?

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  14. What a lovely cake! Looks delicious.

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  15. That buttercream sounds drool-worthy! I love the molasses flavor of brown sugar.

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  16. YUM! I need a piece of this stat! I'm comin' over :)

    If we beg will Charisse share the pumpkin bar recipe? Please? Pretty please?? With a cherry on top??? :)

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  17. Yum yum! It looks delicious and adorable.

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  18. I love the combination of the pumpkin cake and cinnamon brown sugar butter cream frosting. Beautiful job!

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  19. It sounds glorious, all the pumpkin and the brown butter and brown sugar!

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  20. Great combination and the frosting is going on my to-do list. Thanks for sharing.

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  21. that cake looks incredibly delicious...so rich and moist...wow....the brown sugar butter cream really pushed it over the edge....great choice and I love the little candy leaves!!

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  22. Now see, this is karma biting me on the butt. Browsing over-priced American import stores, I've always smugly thought to myself 'I'm so glad I don't like canned pumpkin or need it to make anything like pumpkin pie which I loathe' because here in the UK it costs it's weight in gold. And now you've shoved this gorgeous cake under my nose and I'm going to have to try and get my hands on some of that pumpkin gold. Aaaaargh. (shaking my fist at you!) ;-)

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  23. oh my gosh that cake looks incredible! you did a fantastic job!

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  24. I'm definitely whipping this up today. Looks and sounds amazing!

    Question, for anyone please: do I *have* to use shortening in the frosting? I just can't bear to do it.

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  25. Wow, this looks so good, and I really appreciate the step by step photos. Especially since I'm kind of 'special' when it comes to cake. Yeah, mine aren't pretty (smile)...!

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  26. @ Katie: Evolving
    You don't have to use shortening in your frosting. I've done buttercream with all butter before. The addition of shortening allows it to hold up better and it reduces the "buttery" taste a bit. Some people can't handle that much butter flavor. Good luck!

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  27. Thanks!!!! Will let you know. Too much buttery flavor? Blasphemy! ; )

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  28. I love cakes! This one's a must to be tried

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  29. This is a keeper! Sounds and looks delicious!

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  30. Oh, you make me at brown butter! Great piping, by the way.

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  31. I really wish I had a slice of this right now!!!

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  32. Brown butter makes anything so much better! This sounds really fantastic. And the cinnamon buttercream doesn't hurt my feelings any either!

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  33. Wonderfully warm combination. Really brings together the flavors. And I loved the Finding Nemo thoughts, but no not safe for little fishy. Lovely photos!

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  34. Wow, your cake is just a perfect treat for the season...it is one of the must try cake...love the pictures of the cake and the step-by-step. Beautifully done :-)

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  35. Wow this is one amazing looking cake! I love how festive it is with all of seasonal ingredients.

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  36. oh jeez. that sounds amazing! love the flavors!

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