Brown Butter Pound Cake
Browning the butter is an extra step but it adds a nice dimension of flavor. When you brown butter you actually brown the milk solids, which take on a lovely, caramel flavor and aroma. (Be careful not to burn the milk solids.) Serve this pound cake with strawberries and whipped cream, lemon curd, or ice cream.
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cane sugar
4 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- Place the butter in a medium skillet. Cook over medium heat until the butter melts. Continue cooking until brown specks start to form at the bottom of the pan and you can smell a nutty aroma. Remove from heat and set aside to let the butter solidify and return to room temperature. This might take an hour. You can speed this up by placing the pan in the refrigerator for awhile but the butter should be soft and pliable when it’s ready.
- Heat oven to 350°F and spray a 9″x 5″ loaf pan with cooking spray.
- Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl.
- Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer and beat until light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. Gradually add the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Pour the batter into the pan and spread evenly. Bake for 60-70 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool for 15 minutes, then turn out of pan. Let cool completely on a wire rack.
