Salted Caramel Brown Butter Cake

Ingredients

• 0.5 cup Brown butter (cooled; prepare from butter as directed)
• 0.5 cup Granulated sugar
• 0.5 cup Brown sugar
• 2 Eggs
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract (for the cake)
• 0.333 cup Plain yogurt
• 0.5 cup Milk
• 1.5 cup All-purpose flour
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 0.5 tsp Baking soda
• 0.25 tsp Salt
• 0.5 cup Unsalted butter (for the caramel)
• 1 cup Brown sugar (for the salted cinnamon caramel)
• 0.5 cup Heavy cream (for the caramel)
• 2 tsp Ground cinnamon
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract (for the caramel)
• 0.5 tsp Flaky sea salt (for the caramel; extra for finishing)
• 1 cup Unsalted butter (softened, for the vanilla buttercream)
• 2 cup Powdered sugar
• 1 tsp Vanilla extract (for the vanilla buttercream)
• 2 tbsp Heavy cream (for the buttercream; recipe gives a range of 2–3 tbsp, with a little more if needed for consistency)
• Butter or nonstick spray (for greasing the 8×8-inch baking dish; amount not specified)

Steps

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease an 8×8-inch baking dish with butter or nonstick spray and set it aside.

2. 2

   To make the brown butter, place butter in a light-colored saucepan over medium heat. Melt it, then continue cooking, stirring frequently. It will foam as the milk solids turn golden brown; watch closely and stir often to keep them from burning. When it smells nutty and toasted and has reached a deep golden color, remove it from the heat.

3. 3

   Pour the browned butter into a heat-safe bowl, scraping the browned bits from the bottom of the pan into the bowl. Let it cool completely before using.

4. 4

   Whisk the cooled brown butter with the granulated sugar and brown sugar until combined.

5. 5

   Mix in the eggs, vanilla extract, plain yogurt, and milk until smooth.

6. 6

   Fold in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt just until combined; do not overmix.

7. 7

   Transfer the batter to the prepared baking dish. The source says to divide the batter between cake pans, but lists one 8×8-inch dish and gives no further pan details.

8. 8

   Bake for 43–45 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool completely.

9. 9

   While the cake bakes, make the salted cinnamon caramel. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter until smooth.

10. 10

    Stir in the brown sugar, heavy cream, ground cinnamon, vanilla extract, and flaky sea salt until fully combined.

11. 11

    Bring the mixture to a gentle simmer and cook for 3–5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the caramel is smooth, glossy, and slightly thickened. Remove it from the heat and let it cool while preparing the buttercream.

12. 12

    To make the vanilla buttercream, beat the softened butter with an electric mixer for 2–3 minutes, until light and fluffy.

13. 13

    Gradually add the powdered sugar, mixing until smooth.

14. 14

    Add the vanilla extract and heavy cream. Continue beating until the frosting is creamy, airy, and easy to spread. If needed, add a little more heavy cream to adjust the consistency.

15. 15

    Assemble the cake by spreading buttercream over the first layer and drizzling it with salted caramel. Add the second cake layer, then frost the outside.

16. 16

    Finish with the remaining caramel and a sprinkle of flaky sea salt. Slice and serve.

Notes

The recipe page states yield 9–12. Its timing fields conflict: the page header gives a total of 2 hours 10 minutes, while the recipe card lists 1 hour 10 minutes; totalMinutes follows the header. The written instructions also refer to dividing batter between cake pans and assembling first and second layers, although the listed equipment is one 8×8-inch baking dish and the batter is not explicitly divided; clarify pan/layer setup before baking. Store frosted cake airtight in the refrigerator for up to 5 days; let stand at room temperature about 30 minutes before serving. Cake layers can be wrapped and frozen up to 3 months; thaw before adding caramel and buttercream.

Nutrition per serving

• dessert
• cake
• American
• baked
• celebration
• vegetarian