Get ready to indulge in the most heavenly brown butter caramel cake ever! This cake is super moist with a rich brown butter flavor that will make your taste buds dance with joy. Plus, it’s filled with a luscious caramel sauce and topped with a decadent brown butter cream cheese frosting. Caramel lovers, rejoice – this cake is for you!
Now, let me tell you a little secret about this cake. Technically, it should be called a butterscotch cake because the sauce we’re making resembles homemade butterscotch more than caramel. But trust me, homemade butterscotch is so much easier to make than salted caramel, and it tastes even better! Seriously, it’s a game-changer.
But hey, if you’re a die-hard caramel fan, you can totally use my perfect salted caramel sauce instead of the “caramel” recipe provided here. However, I highly recommend giving this easy caramel sauce a try – it’s made with brown sugar and butter, and it pairs perfectly with the brown butter cake. The flavor is simply out of this world!
Now, let’s gather our ingredients:
Brown Butter Caramel Cake
Ingredients
**For the Brown Butter:**
- 2 cups unsalted butter
**For the Brown Butter Cake:**
- 2 ¼ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup granulated white sugar
- ½ cup brown sugar
- 3 eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1 cup buttermilk
**For the Caramel Sauce:**
- 9 tablespoons unsalted butter
- ¾ cup brown sugar
- 1 cup heavy cream
- 1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- ¼ teaspoon salt
**For the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:**
- 8 ounces cream cheese cold
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
**For the Brown Butter:**
- Melt the butter in a large pot over medium heat until it turns a deep golden brown and gives off a nutty aroma. This should take about 10-15 minutes.
- Measure out 10 tablespoons of brown butter and set aside for the cake. Save the rest for the frosting.
**For the Brown Butter Cake:**
- Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease a 9×9 inch metal baking pan.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- Whip the 10 tablespoons of brown butter until pale and fluffy.
- Add sugars, eggs, and vanilla, mixing until smooth.
- Alternate adding buttermilk and dry ingredients to the batter, mixing until smooth.
- Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35-38 minutes. Let cool completely.
**For the Caramel Sauce:**
- In a saucepan, combine butter and brown sugar, simmer for 5 minutes.
- Whisk in cream, then vanilla and salt. Let cool to room temperature.
**For the Brown Butter Cream Cheese Frosting:**
- Whip remaining brown butter until fluffy, then mix in cream cheese and powdered sugar until smooth.
**Assembling the Cake:**
- Poke holes in the cake and pipe caramel sauce into them.
- Frost the cake with the brown butter cream cheese frosting and drizzle with extra caramel sauce.
- Cut into squares and serve with a little extra caramel sauce on top for maximum yumminess!
- Get ready to enjoy the most irresistible brown butter caramel cake ever!