Brown sugar adds caramel and nuttiness to this tender brown butter cake. This simple tea cake is made with a whisk and one bowl.
– 290 g unsalted butter browned into 226g, if using salted butter reduce sea salt to ½ tsp– 220g or 1 cup packed tightly brown sugar– 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract reduce to 1 teaspoon if adding vanilla bean to brown butter– ¾ tsp fine sea salt– 3 large eggs at room temperature– 1 teaspoon baking powder– ¼ tsp baking soda– 250g or 2 cups cake flour shake the flour into the cup and level the cup, don't pack it in– 240g or 1 cup sour cream at room temperature– 3 tablespoons granulated sugar for topping
INGREDIENTS
━━━━━━━━━━
INSTRUCTION
Cook butter in a large non-stick pan. The butter melts, sputters, foams, and browns on the bottom in about 7 minutes on medium-low. Add sliced vanilla beans and scrapings to melted butter.
STEP 1 .
As it browns, use a rubber spatula to scrape the edges. Remove 226g of butter from the pan and scrape it into a large bowl. Remove vanilla pod. Heat the oven to 350 F.
STEP 2.
Parchment or grease and flour an 8- or 9-inch square pan. Add vanilla and sea salt to butter and whisk. Whisk in the brown sugar for a minute to melt it.
STEP 3.
Add one egg and whisk for 60 seconds. Add another egg and whisk again; the mixture will thicken and shine, indicating an emulsion. Add the last egg and whisk 60 seconds.
STEP 4.
Mix the flour, baking powder, and baking soda half way, then add the sour cream and mix well. Stop when flour is gone.
STEP 5.
Sprinkle generously with granulated sugar in the prepared pan. Baking until a cake tester comes out clean takes 35–45 minutes.