Pumpkin Cake with Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting
Servings:
16 servings
prep time:
30 mins
cook time:
1 hour 0 mins
Total time:
1 hour 30 mins
Ingredients
pumpkin cake
Wet ingredients
-
Vermont Creamery Unsalted Cultured Butter, softened to room temperature, plus 1 teaspoon for the pan
1 stick
-
¾ cup packed light brown sugar
-
3 large eggs, at room temperature
-
¼ cup Vermont Creamery Crème Fraîche, at room temperature
-
1 cup pumpkin puree, at room temperature
dry ingredients
-
1 ¼ cups blanched almond flour
-
¾ cup sweet rice flour
-
¾ cup gluten-free oat flour
-
2 tablespoons tapioca flour
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2 teaspoons gluten-free baking powder
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1 teaspoon baking soda
-
golden pumpkin pie spice
2 ¼ teaspoons
-
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
brown butter cream cheese frosting
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Vermont Creamery Unsalted Cultured Butter
8 tablespoons
-
½ vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped (or 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract added with the salt)
-
8 ounces cream cheese, softened to room temperature
-
1 ¼ cups powdered sugar
-
¼ teaspoon fine sea salt
Directions
to make the cake
- Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat it to 350ºF. Lightly butter an 8-inch square pan with 1 teaspoon soft butter. Line the pan with parchment paper on all sides.
- Combine the stick of softened butter and brown sugar in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Beat on medium speed until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating to combine after each addition, and scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. It’s ok if the mixture looks curdled; it will come together in the next step.
- Meanwhile, stir together the crème fraiche and pumpkin puree in a measuring cup. Sift the dry ingredients into a medium bowl.
- Add half of the flour mixture to the butter mixture and beat on low speed until it’s mostly incorporated. Scraping down the sides of the bowl. Add the pumpkin mixture and beat on low until just incorporated. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat on low speed until incorporated. Scrape the sides of the bowl and the paddle once more, then beat the batter on medium speed until light, airy, and smooth, 15 seconds.
- Spread the batter into the prepared pan and bake until a tester inserted comes out with a few moist crumbs, 40-55 minutes. An instant-read thermometer should register around 190ºF. Let cool completely.
to make the frosting
- In a small, heavy-bottomed saucepan, combine the butter with the vanilla pod and scrapings. A light-colored pot will make it easier to track the progress of the browning butter.
- Set the pot over medium-low heat, swirling occasionally. After 3–5 minutes, the butter will foam up, then turn golden and smell nutty with deep brown specks on the bottom of the pot. Watch it closely at this point so it doesn’t burn, reducing the heat if need be. It should register about 250ºF on an instant-read thermometer.
- Immediately pour the butter into a heatproof bowl to stop the cooking, scraping the pan and adding in any brown butter bits. Remove the vanilla bean and discard, or reserve for another use. Let the butter cool to room temperature, 1-2 hours; it should be the consistency of mayonnaise. To speed this up, pop it in the fridge and stir every few minutes.
- When the butter has cooled, beat the softened cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until smooth, scraping down the sides of the bowl and the paddle a few times.
- Add the cooled brown butter and beat on medium-low speed until smooth and combined, 1-2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl and paddle as needed.
- Sift the powdered sugar into the cream cheese mixture and add the salt. Beat the frosting on low speed to combine, then increase the speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, 1-2 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl once or twice.
- Use the frosting right away, or store refrigerated airtight for up to 1 week. If chilled, let soften to room temperature before using.
