Recipes
Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake|Weston Table

Sweet Things

Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake
Every year we seek out pumpkin recipes from September to November. We have tried dozens and in order to make it into the pumpkin hall of fame, the bar is high. A friend in London shared this Jeanne Kelly recipe and for good reason it is being made stateside and across the pond. It has the all-American pumpkin spice seasonings that make the house smell like a bear hug. Also, in it, are bits of crystallized ginger, some crunchy pepitas, and a smattering of roasted pecans in to make this a cake that pumpkin and pecan pie lovers will savor. This easy to make cake freezes well, so it can be made in advance and frozen without the frosting for a seasonal treat fit for gatherings throughout the fall and even into the Christmas holidays when you may be otherwise tempted to pick something up at a local bakery.
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cuisine American
difficulty Moderate
season Fall & Winter
serves 8 to 12

Ingredients for the Cake

  • 6 ounces unsalted butter, cut into 6 tablespoon portions
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1 teaspoon ground ginger
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1 1/2 cups pumpkin purée
  • 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 2/3 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1/3 cup buttermilk

Ingredients For the Topping

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 2/3 cup pecans
  • 1/2 cup unsalted pepitas
  • 2 tablespoons firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 1 1/2 tablespoons crystallized ginger, chopped

Ingredients for the Frosting

  • 4 ounces unsalted butter
  • 8 oounces cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/4 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
  • 5 ounces confectioners’ sugar

Directions for the Cake

  1. Preheat the oven to 350° Degrees F.
  2. LIne two 9-inch round cake or springform pans with parchment paper. Butter the parchment and all sides of the pans. Dust the pans with flour.
  3. In a small pot, add the knobs of butter and melt over medium heat. Cook, swirling and stirring the sputtering and foaming until the butter begins to smell nutty and rich and has a golden brown color about 5 to 7 minutes. Pour the butter into a small bowl and let stand until cool but not set, about 15 minutes.
  4. In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, salt, and cloves.
  5. In the bowl of an electric stand mixture, whisk 1 1/2 cups of the pumpkin purée with the granulated sugar, brown sugar, eggs, and buttermilk until well incorporated. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined.
  6. Turn the mixer to low speed and whisk in the brown butter until completely incorporated.
  7. Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared baking pans.
  8. Place the pans on the middle rack of the oven and bake until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, about 25 to 30 minutes.
  9. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 10 minutes and then remove the cakes from the pans and peel off the parchment paper to finish cooling on a wire baking rack.
  10. Place one cake layer on a cake plate. Spread 1/2 cup of the frosting over the top and sprinkle a 1/2 cup of the nut mixture over the frosting. Top with the second cake layer.
  11. Frost the top and sides of the cake with the remaining frosting. Sprinkle the rest of the topping over the cake and serve.

Directions for the Topping

  1. Melt the butter in a cast iron skillet over medium heat. Add the pecans and pepitas and toast until the pecans brown slightly and the pepitas begin to pop, about 2 minutes.
  2. Sprinkle in the brown sugar and salt and stir until the sugar melts and the nuts are glazed, about 2 minutes. Stir in the ginger. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool in the skillet.

Directions for the Frosting

  1. Over medium heat, melt the butter in a heavy-duty 1 quart pot. Cook, swirling the pan occasionally until the butter turns a golden brown and is fragrantly nutty, about 4 minutes.
  2. Pour the brown butter into a small bowl and let stand until the solids settle at the bottom of the bowl, about 5 minutes.
  3. Carefully transfer the bowl to the freezer and chill until just firm, about 20 minutes. Use a small rubber spatula to carefully lift the butter from bowl, leaving the browned solids at the bottom.
  4. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter, cream cheese, and brown sugar on medium-high speed until light in color and the brown sugar has dissolved, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  5. Gradually beat in the confectioner's sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 2 minutes.

Kitchen Notes

Whenever possible, opt for making cakes in springform pans. This makes removing the cakes from the pan a whole lot easier. An unfrosted cake may be frozen for up to 1 month. Unfrosted, this cake makes tremendous small loaves and muffins (adjust the cooking time and test for doneness by sticking a wooden skewer through the center and baking until the skewer comes out clean).

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