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Brown Butter Pumpkin Cake

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A moist and tender pumpkin sheet cake flavored with nutty brown butter, brown sugar, cinnamon, and warm fall spices. Creamy brown butter cream cheese frosting makes it an irresistible dessert for Thanksgiving and autumn gatherings.

Ingredients

  • All-purpose flour
  • Pumpkin puree
  • Unsalted butter, browned and slightly cooled
  • Brown sugar
  • Granulated sugar
  • Eggs
  • Vanilla extract
  • Baking powder
  • Baking soda
  • Ground cinnamon
  • Ground ginger
  • Ground nutmeg
  • Ground cloves
  • Salt
  • Unsalted butter, browned and cooled, for the frosting
  • Cream cheese, softened
  • Powdered sugar
  • Vanilla extract, for the frosting
  • Salt, for the frosting

Instructions

  1. Place the butter for the cake in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat and melt it.
  2. Continue cooking, stirring or swirling frequently, until the butter foams and the milk solids turn golden to amber brown with a nutty aroma. Immediately remove from the heat.
  3. Pour the browned butter, including the browned milk solids, into a heat-safe bowl and let it cool slightly.
  4. Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9 x 13-inch baking pan and optionally line it with parchment paper.
  5. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg, cloves, and salt in a medium bowl.
  6. In a large bowl, whisk together the pumpkin puree, brown sugar, granulated sugar, eggs, vanilla, and cooled brown butter until smooth.
  7. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the pumpkin mixture and gently stir just until combined. Avoid overmixing.
  8. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared baking pan.
  9. Bake for 28–35 minutes, until the center springs back lightly and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  10. Set the pan on a wire rack and let the cake cool completely for about 1 hour before frosting.
  11. For the frosting, brown the butter using the same method as before, then let it cool until it is no longer hot.
  12. Beat the softened cream cheese until smooth. Add the cooled brown butter, powdered sugar, vanilla extract, and a pinch of salt, then beat until creamy and spreadable.
  13. Spread the brown butter cream cheese frosting evenly over the completely cooled cake.
  14. Slice into 12–16 pieces and serve.

Notes

  • Use pure pumpkin puree rather than sweetened and seasoned pumpkin pie filling.
  • Watch brown butter carefully once the milk solids begin changing color because it can burn quickly.
  • For extra crunch, fold chopped pecans or walnuts into the batter or sprinkle toasted nuts over the frosting.
  • For a maple variation, add a little pure maple syrup or maple extract to the frosting.
  • Semi-sweet chocolate chips can be folded into the batter for a chocolate variation.
  • For a simpler cake, omit the frosting and dust the cooled cake with powdered sugar.
  • Store the frosted cake covered in the refrigerator for about 4–5 days.
  • The unfrosted cake or individual pieces can be wrapped securely and frozen for about 2–3 months.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thefamilycooking.com/brown-butter-pumpkin-cake/