Do you ever feel like you can never get enough sleep? Or maybe it's just that getting up, taking Margeaux for a walk and trying to go back to sleep 30 minutes later just isn't the same as sleeping in on the weekends. A couple of Thursday evenings ago, between taking Margeaux for multiple walks I made a cake. It went like this...get home from work, take Margeaux for a walk to the park, come home make the cake batter. Put cakes in the oven, then take Margeaux for a quick timed walk...she didn't do all of her business the first time around apparently...and there were cakes in the oven that needed rotating after 10 minutes. A little while later...eat dinner, let the cakes cool for a bit and start the frosting. Take Margeaux for another walk around the block. Come in finish the frosting, get the bottom layer frosted, before she is begging for another walk...what can I say I am a total pushover. (One of these days I will learn, but she did actual go to the bathroom every time.) Come in, finish frosting cake...realize I left all cake boxes in my office and improvise for storage for the night with the old tooth pick saran wrap trick.
Let's talk quickly about this cake though. The reason you won't be seeing a picture of a big slice of it here, is because this cake was for my neighbor. He wanted simple, so simple I did...with a twist of course. This is my favorite browned butter vanilla cake aka adult vanilla cake. I gave a new chocolate frosting recipe, courtesy of Tasting Table, a try and it did not disappoint. This frosting was perfectly fudgy and so easy to spread. I may or may not have eaten the leftover frosting with broken graham crackers later on...and I didn't even feel bad about it. I can only imagine the cake was delicious and I think my neighbor might have even called it delectable. The cake has a great sponge to it and is super moist, without being dense, and I mean who wouldn't want fudgy frosting with this cake. Give it a try and Enjoy!
*makes a 3 layer 9" cake easily
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) browned unsalted butter, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups buttermilk
Chocolate Frosting (recipe from Tasting Table)
*I timed and a halved (1 1/2) this recipe so I would make sure I had enough frosting for a three layer cake.
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, roughly chopped
1 cup heavy cream
2/3 cup granulated sugar
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter, softened and cut into 1-inch pieces
1. The morning you are baking the cake or even a couple of days before, in a medium sauce pan, brown the butter over medium-high heat. The butter will melt first, and the begin to bubble. Once the bubbling has subsided, the butter will start to have nutty smell to it, and brown bits will begin to form. When this happens pour the butter into a heat proof container (I just use a pyrex measuring cup.) and put in the refrigerator to harden (if doing a couple of days in advance) or cover and leave on the counter to cool to room temperature and solidify.
2. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray your cake pans with non-stick cooking spray, and line the bottoms with parchment paper.
3. In a medium sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4. In the bowl of a electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating for 1 minute between each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract. Reduce the speed to low (or if your me, this is when I whisk things by hand.) add 1/3 of the flour mixture and mix just until combined. Add 1/2 of the buttermilk in a slow stream and beat until combined. Add another 1/3 of the flour, mix and then whisk in the remaining buttermilk, followed by the remainder of the flour mixture. Divide the flour among the prepared cake pans.
4. Bake until golden brown on top and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Let cool in the pans for 20 minutes before inverting on to wire racks to cool completely before frosting. While the cakes are cooling prepare the frosting.
5. Place the chopped chocolate in a medium bowl.
6. In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the cream and sugar, stirring often until the sugar dissolves, 2 to 3 minutes.
7. Pour the warm cream over the chopped chocolate and let sit for 2 to 3 minutes or until the chocolate begins to soften. Whisk until smooth and allow to sit for another 5 to 7 minutes to cool slightly.
8. Whisk the butter into the chocolate, adding only 1 or 2 pieces at a time and whisking until they're blended in before adding the next.
9. Let the frosting sit at room temperature until it seems spreadable, 20 to 30 minutes.
10. To assemble: Once the cakes have cooled, level each cake by cutting off the rounded part of each cake so they will lay flat on top of each other. Frost the bottom cake layer generously with frosting, then place the middle layer on top, making sure it is centered. Frost the middle layer and then top with the remaining cake layer. Frost the outside of the cake first and then the top. If the frosting is too warm, place the cake in the refrigerator for 15-20 minutes then frost with remaining frosting. Serve and Enjoy!
*This cake is best stored and served at room temperature.
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