Queenie Cooks: Browned Butter Pound Cake

Merry Christmas slash Happy Festivus, everyone! I'm writing this post from (slightly balmier than New York) Austin, Texas, where I'm spending the holidays with two of my favorite people in the world (Nick and Louisa) and two of my favorite dogs in the world (Oscar and Hunter).

Louisa has planned a most fabulous menu for Christmas Eve dinner, including three (yes, THREE) separate desserts. When it's your first year hosting your in-laws and your parents for Christmas, this is the sort of thing you tend to do. That said, if you're still in the planning stages for tomorrow night's dinner or Saturday's festivities, I hereby submit one of my very favorite, ridiculously easy recipes for your consideration.

Browned butter pound cake. The very words thrill me. My incredibly talented friend Lorna created the recipe, and I've found little that perfumes a house quite as incredibly.

You can make this cake with ingredients you already have in the house, and yet it makes the place smell all special occasion exciting. It bakes up flawlessly every time, and pairs gorgeously with a myriad of ice creams (vanilla, cinammon, honey, ginger) and sauces (toffee, butterscotch). It transports easily, can be made ahead of time...really, there's absolutely no reason not to make this cake.

Even if you already have plans for dessert. After all, there's always breakfast. And snack time. Or whatever.

Lorna's Browned Butter Pound Cake
Adapted from Lorna Yee

2 sticks + 1 tbsp unsalted butter

2/3 cups packed dark brown sugar

2/3 cups granulated sugar

4 large eggs

2 tsp. vanilla extract

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt

3/4 tsp. baking soda
3/4 tsp. baking powder

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

In a skillet, melt the butter over high heat until it starts to brown and smell nutty. (Give it the occasional stir so that the butter browns evenly, and doesn’t burn.) Transfer the browned butter to a bowl and set it in the freezer for a few minutes to cool while you gather the rest of your ingredients.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the cooled, brown butter in with the sugars on medium speed until creamy and light, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition. The mixture should appear about doubled in volume in the mixing bowl. Beat in the vanilla extract.

Set the mixing speed to low, and beat in the remaining ingredients until combined. Transfer the batter to a loaf pan, and smooth the top.

Bake in the preheated oven for 1 hour, and test with a skewer to ensure doneness. If the cake is still too moist in the center, bake for another 5-10 minutes, and check again.

Let cool completely before slicing.

Comments

[miya]

looks awesome--can't wait to try it! xoxo