As we all know I am a brown butter enthusiast. I basically don’t make cookies anymore without browning butter and I am all about adding it to pies and tarts. I had never thought about using it in a cake, but for these bundt cakes I thought I would try an experiment and see how it would complement the warming spices of gingerbread.
It worked pretty darn well. As soon as I tasted the batter I knew it was going to be a gingerbread game changer.
A word to the wise – if you’re using an intricate bundt pan design like the one I used, please generously spray the pan if you want the cakes to come out in one piece AND wait for the cakes to cool in the pan for 15 minutes. That is basically the only way they are going to emerge as beautifully as the baking gods intended.
Cake Ingredients
- 2 cups flour
- 1/2 cup spelt flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/4 tsp of baking soda
- 1/2 tsp sea salt
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 2 teaspoons cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon allspice
- 1 cup salted butter
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup fancy molasses
- 1 tsp vanilla
- 1 cup buttermilk
Glaze Ingredients
- 1 cup icing sugar
- 2 tbsp milk
- 1/4 tsp vanilla
- Optional: Pinch of cinnamon or ginger or 1/4 tsp bourbon
Steps
Preheat oven to 350F.
In a medium bowl, whisk together all purpose flour, spelt flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and spices until combined and set aside.
To brown the butter, place butter in a pan over medium heat and allow to melt, bubble and foam, stirring occasionally. Once the butter starts turning a dark golden brown and smells nutty, remove from heat and pour into a large bowl.
Add brown sugar and whisk until incorporated. Add eggs one at a time, whisking well between each addition until smooth. Whisk in molasses and vanilla.
Add the 1/3 of the dry ingredients and stir to combine. Add half the buttermilk and stir until incorporated. Repeat with remaining parts of dry ingredients and buttermilk, finishing with dry ingredients. The batter will run off the whisk in a thick ribbon.
In an extremely well greased/sprayed mini bundt cake pan (seriously – generously spray or oil that pan or the cakes will split in half coming out of the pan), spoon batter into compartments until 3/4 full. Lightly tap the pan once to eliminate bubbles.
Bake for 20-25 minutes until the cakes spring back when tapped. Allow to cool in pan for 15 minutes, then flip onto wire rack to cool completely.
For the glaze, whisk together icing sugar, milk and vanilla until smooth and drizzle over cooled cakes.
Pie Girl Bakes 