Pound Cake With Brown Butter and Pecans
This twist on a traditional pound cake takes the ordinary and turns it into something extraordinary, making the longtime favorite taste like a buttery, nutty maple-glazed doughnut. Beyond being delicious, it’s also a great way to use up any pecans, rescuing them by toasting them and tossing them in a sweet glaze. (If you like, you can also use a mix of pecans and walnuts.) It’s a big cake, great for a crowd, and a little goes a long way. But it keeps well in the fridge and is especially nice heated up for 15 seconds in the microwave.
- Total:
- Serves: 14 persons
Ingredients
- Nonstick cooking spray
- 3cups plus 2 tablespoons/400 grams cake flour
- 1teaspoon baking powder
- 1teaspoon fine salt
- ½teaspoon baking soda
- ½cup/60 grams chopped pecans
- 1 ½cups/339 grams unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 2cups/400 grams granulated sugar
- 4large eggs, at room temperature
- 1tablespoon vanilla extract
- 1cup/240 milliliters buttermilk, at room temperature
- ½cup unsalted butter
- 1(14-ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
- 1cup/102 grams confectioners’ sugar, sifted
- 2teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2cups/250 grams finely chopped pecans
- Whole milk (optional), for thinning glaze
Instructions
Step 1
Place a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 12-cup Bundt cake pan with nonstick cooking spray.Step 2
Prepare the cake: Sift 3 cups cake flour with the baking powder, salt and baking soda in a medium bowl; set aside.Step 3
In a small bowl, toss the chopped pecans with the remaining 2 tablespoons cake flour; set aside.Step 4
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the 1 ½ cups butter on medium-high until light and creamy, 5 minutes. Add the granulated sugar and continue to mix until pale yellow, another 2 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, waiting until each egg is completely mixed before adding the next. Add the vanilla extract. Turn mixer to low, and add the flour mixture in 3 batches, starting and ending with the flour mixture and alternating with the buttermilk. Do not overmix. Fold in the pecans.Step 5
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan. Spread the batter evenly and tap the pan on the counter to release any air. Bake until a wooden skewer inserted in the center of the comes out with a few crumbs, 50 minutes to 1 hour.Step 6
Remove the cake from the oven and let cool at room temperature for 20 minutes. If needed, gently run a butter knife along the edge of the cake to make sure it isn't sticking to the pan. (The cake should naturally start pulling away within a few minutes of being out of the oven.)Step 7
As the cake rests, prepare the glaze: Cook the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Carefully pour it into a medium bowl, leaving behind the sediment. (You can also pour through a fine-mesh strainer to make sure the sediment stays behind.)Step 8
Add condensed milk, confectioners’ sugar and vanilla and stir until combined. Add the finely chopped pecans and stir until incorporated. If glaze is too thick, stir in milk, 1 tablespoon at a time. Pour over cake immediately. Cake will keep, covered, at room temperature, for up to 4 days.