Brown butter sponge cake is rich and moist on the inside, and crisp and toasty along the edges. The browned butter adds a great distinct flavour and shines through in this delicious cake. Into a saucepan, add 2 sticks of butter and allow it to melt down over medium heat, the butter will come to a boil before browning. You will know the butter is browned when you see brown butter residue around the edges of the pan and if you tilt your pan, you will see the bottom of the pan is also covered with little brown bits.

It will have a nutty smell and an aroma. Once done, pour the browned butter into a medium-sized bowl and let it cool down. For the dry ingredients, whisk in a large mixing bowl 3 cups of all-purpose flour, a teaspoon of baking powder, salt and baking soda whisk the ingredients well then set aside. In another bowl, add one and a half cups of granulated sugar, 4 large eggs and a teaspoon of vanilla extract then whisk them in making sure the eggs are well beaten and incorporated in the mixture.

Add a cup of buttermilk and mix it in then bring the browned butter and add it in while whisking the mixture. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk it well making sure there are no lumps in the cake batter. Pour the butter into a buttered and floured baking pan and bake in a preheated 350F/180C oven for 50 to 55 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.

Meanwhile, add 6 tablespoons of butter in a saucepan you used before and let it melt over heat then take it over the heat and add a third of a cup of bourbon and three-quarters of a cup of sugar. Return the mixture to the heat and cook it until the mixture is like a thin glaze and is translucent. You don’t want it to come to a boil so keep an eye on it stirring it over medium heat. Once the cake is out of the oven, let it cool for about 15 minutes.

You want to glaze your cake while it’s still warm. Poke holes through the cake to the bottom and pour the glaze over the cake. Let the cake sit for 15 minutes until all the glaze is absorbed then turn it out of the pan and let it completely cool. That will take like an hour. Slice the cake and serve.

Ingredients;

Cake

  • 2 sticks (1 cup/ 227grams) unsalted butter
  • 3 cups (360grams/ 12.6Oz) all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • ¾ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 4 large eggs, room temperature
  • 1 ½ cups (300 grams/ 10.5Oz) sugar
  • 1 cup (236ml) buttermilk, room temperature
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

Glaze

  • 6 tablespoons (85 grams/ 3Oz) unsalted butter
  • ⅓ cup Kentucky bourbon whiskey
  • ¾ cup (94 grams/ 3.3Oz) sugar