Orange Brown Butter Cake

This Orange Brown Butter Cake is a unique twist of nutty rich browned butter flavor, orange zest and honey in a light textured bundt cake. A twist on my popular recipe for Orange Ginger Honey Cakes you will be eating several slices with your morning coffee or enjoying as a dessert with ice cream.

What is the difference between brown butter and regular butter?

Brown butter, is made by cooking unsalted butter until the milk solids turn brownish in color. Basically you are removing the water from the butter.

Results are a nutty, rich and flavorful, brown butter. It adds more depth of flavor and a deeper color for a tastier visually appealing cake.

So, how do you make this magical brown butter? Place your unsalted butter in a small saucepan and melt over medium heat. Once melted, a white foam will form on the butter. Once the butter has transformed to an amber brown color and lets off a nutty fragrance you know its ready. Allow it to completely cool before using in recipe. Make sure its no longer warm butter or it will change the texture of the cake.

Bundt Cake Pan

This recipe works best with a smaller bundt cake pan. I used a 9 cup fluted cake pan. Make sure to prep your bundt pan with a non-stick baking spray that has flour. I prefer the spray over butter and flour for bundt cake pans because of their intricate designs. If you want a cooled cake to slip right out of the pan without any tearing, best go with the baking spray!

Orange Glazed Bundt Cake

I decided to go an extra step and add an orange glaze to the top of the cake. This simple mixture is a must for an extra zing of orange flavor. I mean glaze is always a good idea right?!

All you need to do to make the cake glaze is stir together the powdered sugar, fresh orange juice, and vanilla extract until smooth. Pour the orange glaze onto the cake or individual slices.

Tips for Tricks

• Make sure to brown your butter for rich flavor and color.
• Let brown butter completely cool. So make it ahead of time.
• Use fresh orange juice and zest.
• Don’t over mix your batter! A light batter is a fluffy well risen cake.
• Prepare your bundt cake with a generous coating of non-stick baking spray. We don’t want a cake that sticks to the pan and tears.
• Check for doneness by inserting a toothpick into the baked cake. If it comes out clean or with a few crumbs its ready to remove from the oven.
• Let your cake cool in the pan on a wire rack completely before inverting onto serving dish.
• Make your orange glaze and pour onto cooled cake before serving.

How to Store Brown Butter Cake

Store cooled bundt cake in an air tight container at room temperature for up to 1 week. Make sure to keep in a cool location to prevent humidity causing mold on moist goods.

Alternatively you can wrap the whole cake or individual slices in plastic wrap and keep in the fridge for up to 3 weeks.

This cake also freezes well for enjoying as a late night snack. Slice the unglazed cake into serving sizes and wrap in two layers of plastic wrap. Place in a freezer safe plastic bag for up to 3 months of freshness. Allow slices to thaw to room temperature before devouring.

Orange Brown Butter Cake

By Jenn

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Servings: 12 slices

Ingredients 

Orange Brown Butter Cake

• ▢ 2 Cups (250 grams) All Purpose Flour
• ▢ 1.5 teaspoons Baking Powder
• ▢ ½ teaspoon Baking Soda
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Ground Ginger
• ▢ 2 Tablespoons Orange Zest
• ▢ 8 Tablespoons (113 grams) Unsalted Butter browned
• ▢ ¾ Cup (270 grams) Honey
• ▢ 3 Tablespoons Fresh Orange Juice
• ▢ ½ Cup (125 ml) Whole Milk
• ▢ ¼ Cup (50 grams) Granulated Sugar
• ▢ 2 Eggs

Orange Cake Glaze

• ▢ 1 ½ Cups Powdered Sugar
• ▢ 4-5 Tablespoons Fresh Squeezed Orange Juice
• ▢ 1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 325 F (163 C) and spray a 10 inch or 9 cup bundt pan with non stick baking spray.
• In a medium bowl, hand whisk together sifted flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, ginger and orange zest.
• Brown your butter by placing in a small skillet on medium heat. Stir until butter is melted. Continue to stir and heat until butter is foamy and brownish in color.
• Pour brown butter into bowl of stand mixer. Allow butter to cool completely.
• Add honey, orange juice, milk, sugar, and slightly beaten eggs.
• Mix on medium with paddle attachment until smooth.
• Slowly spoon in flour mixture on medium speed until a cake batter is formed. Scrape sides and bottom of bowl to incorporate all ingredients. DO NOT over mix batter!
• Pour batter into prepared bundt pan.
• Place pan on middle rack of oven and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean.
• Place pan on cooling rack to completely cool before inverting cake onto serving dish.
• Combine all ingredients for orange glaze into a small mixing bowl.
• Stir with a whisk until smooth. If you would like a thicker glaze add more powdered sugar a ¼ cup at time and mix again. If you would like a thinner glaze add more orange juice a tablespoon at a time and mix again.
• Pour orange glaze onto cooled bundt cake and serve.

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: American

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