Brown Butter Pumpkin Chocolate Cake
 
 
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Ingredients
  • For the Pumpkin Cake
  • 1¾ cups all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • 1 tsp ginger powder
  • 140 grams butter
  • ¾ cups plain sugar
  • ½ cup brown sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 1¼ tsps vanilla extract
  • 1 cup pumpkin puree
  • ¼ cup buttermilk
  • ½ cup caramel sauce
  • For the Chocolate Cake
  • ½ cup sugar
  • ¼ cup light brown
  • ¾ cup all purpose flour
  • 5 tbsps cocoa powder
  • ¾ tsp baking powder
  • ¾ tsp baking soda
  • ½ tsp salt
  • ¼ cooking oil
  • 1 large egg
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • ½ tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ hot water
  • For the Swiss Ginger Buttercream
  • 1 cup egg whites, room temperature
  • 1½ cups sugar
  • 2 cups butter, room temperature
  • 1 tbsp ginger powder
Instructions
  1. To prepare the pumpkin cake, preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
  2. Place the butter in a light coloured saucepan over medium heat until melted. Continue cooking, swirling the pan constantly or stirring with a heatproof rubber spatula, until the butter is dark golden brown and has a nutty flavour.
  3. Transfer to small bowl, cover and place in the freezer for about 30 minutes or until softly solidified. If it gets too solid, zap in microwave for a few seconds.
  4. Butter and flour your pan and keep aside.
  5. In a large bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda and powder, salt, cinnamon and ginger powder and set aside.
  6. In another bowl mix together the pumpkin puree, buttermilk and vanilla. Set aside.
  7. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the brown butter on medium high speed till creamy, about 2-4 minutes.
  8. Gradually add both sugars and mix till the color is lightened and the texture is creamy. About 5-8 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
  9. On low speed add one third of the flour mixture, followed by half of the pumpkin mixture. Then add the next one third flour mixture followed by the last half of the pumpkin mixture. Finally ending with the flour mixture.
  10. Mix until just combined. Do not over mix.
  11. Bake until the cake's centre springs back when touched lightly and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the centre. About 40-45 minutes.
  12. Let the cake cool in the pan for 20 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack. Once completely cooled down, cut in half and put both layers aside.
  13. For the chocolate cake, preheat oven to 350°F/175°C.
  14. Butter and flour your pan and set aside.
  15. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, mix together both sugars, flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda and salt, on low speed.
  16. In another bowl, whisk together the oil, eggs, buttermilk and vanilla.
  17. Slowly add the wet ingredients to the dry and on low speed mix well, scraping down the bowl if needed. Slowly add the hot water to the batter. Blend well on medium speed. Theatre will be thin but don't worry.
  18. Pour the batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 35-45 minutes of until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Let the cake cool in the pan and then out onto a wire rack. Once completely cool, slice into 2 layers and set aside.
  19. For the buttercream, whip sugar and egg whites together in a double boiler until the temperature reaches 120°F, and the sugar is dissolved. Transfer to the bowl of a stand mixer, whip to soft peaks and add butter, a little at a time, until incorporated and fluffy. This can take 6-8 minutes. Add the ginger powder and continue whipping for another minute.
  20. To put the cake together, place one layer (of either pumpkin or chocolate) and add the buttercream evenly. Add the next layer and repeat. Spread the rest of the buttercream on the cake to cover lightly. We want it to be a naked cake. Lastly drizzle some caramel on top.
Recipe by Box of Spice at https://boxofspice.com/2017/01/brown-butter-pumpkin-chocolate-cake/