Brown Butter Pound Cake is three loaves of rich, buttery vanilla pound cake with a nutty, caramelized flavor from browned butter. I like to add a drizzle of extra brown butter on top for even more flavor, but the cake stands beautifully (and tastes wonderful) on its own, too! If you want a more classic version, you can skip the browning step and still enjoy a traditional vanilla pound cake!
Ingredients & Substitutions
- Butter: It’s all about the browned butter in this pound cake recipe! I like to use unsalted butter to brown for this recipe. Salted butter can be harder to judge the color change (which is important to watch carefully) because it foams more as it melts. But, you can still use it and end up with a delicious pound cake!
- Sugar: Granulated sugar sweetens the cake and helps give the cake a tender crumb.
- Eggs: Yes, you need six large eggs for this recipe! But, you are getting 3 loaves out of it. They help bind the ingredients together–make sure they are at room temperature.
- Flour: I used all-purpose flour for the structure of the cake. For a gluten-free option, use a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend.
- Milk: Look for whole milk to use in the cake–it provides moisture and fat, keeping the cake soft. You could substitute 2% milk or heavy cream if that is all you have on hand.
- Vanilla: Vanilla extract adds flavor to the pound cake.
Why Chilling Browned Butter Is Essential For Perfect Pound Cake Texture
Please, please, please do not skip the step of completely chilling the browned butter in the refrigerator. This takes 2-3 hours, so plan accordingly. Chilling the browned butter makes it solid, which helps it mix better with sugar. This mixing creates air pockets, giving the cake a light and tender texture. If the butter is too warm, the cake can become dense or greasy, so chilled butter keeps the batter just right. Plus, chilling helps the nutty flavor spread evenly throughout the batter, making the cake taste great! (We tested the cake by simply letting the brown butter cool, and it did not work–the cakes fell and did not bake evenly.)
How To Tell When Pound Cake Is Done
To check if your pound cake is done, insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out with a few crumbs, that is a good thing, and the cake is ready. If it comes out wet with batter, it needs more time to bake. You can also gently press the top of the cake; if it springs back, it’s done. If you happen to notice that the top is browned but your pound cake still needs to bake, you can gently cover it with an aluminum foil tent to make sure it will not brown anymore. Remember to let it cool in the pan for a bit before taking it out!
Delicious Pairings: What To Serve With Brown Butter Pound Cake
Although this brown butter pound cake can stand on its own, there are many delicious options to serve with the cake. Here are a few of my favorites:
- Whipped cream
- Confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar)
- Fresh berries like strawberries, blueberries, or raspberries
- Ice cream (I like vanilla ice cream or salted caramel ice cream.)
- Chocolate ganache
- Caramel sauce
- Chopped nuts (I like roasted pecans or almonds on this pound cake.)
- Enjoy a slice with coffee or tea for a mid-morning snack or afternoon pick-me-up!
How To Store Brown Butter Pound Cake
Pound cakes are best kept at room temperature, wrapped in plastic wrap, or covered, for up to 3 days. This helps keep them soft and flavorful. If you want, you can store them in the refrigerator for up to five days, but be careful! The cake can dry out faster in the refrigerator, so make sure it is wrapped tightly to keep it moist.
Can I Freeze Brown Butter Pound Cake?
Absolutely! To freeze the brown butter pound cake, double-wrap it in plastic wrap, followed by a layer of aluminum foil. It will last up to 3 months in the freezer. When ready to enjoy the cake, let it thaw in the refrigerator overnight (about 8 hours) before slicing and serving.
Brown Butter Pound Cake
Ingredients
- 2 cups (4 sticks / 454 g) unsalted butter
- 3 cups (600 g) granulated sugar
- 6 large eggs, room temperature
- 4 cups (500 g) all-purpose flour
- ⅔ cup (163 g) whole milk, room temperature
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- browned butter, for drizzling (optional)
Instructions
Brown Butter
- In a stainless steel skillet (or another light-bottomed pan) over medium-high heat, melt the butter, swirling the pan occasionally. The butter will begin to foam, which signals the water in the butter is boiling off. (Watch closely at this stage; browned butter and burnt butter are within seconds of each other.) Tiny brown specs of milk solids will begin to appear at the bottom of the pan; constantly stir and scrape these off using a spatula so they don't stick.
- As soon as the butter turns chestnut brown and smells nutty, remove the pan from the heat. Pour the browned butter into a large, heat-safe bowl, making sure to get all the browned bits. Chill the brown butter in the refrigerator for 2-3 hours.
- Once the brown butter has chilled completely, remove it from the refrigerator and let it rest at room temperature for 15-20 minutes before making the pound cake.
Pound Cake
- Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray 3, 8×4-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray, followed by lining each with parchment paper. Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the brown butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes.
- Add eggs one at a time, making sure each one has been incorporated before adding the next one. Add vanilla and mix to combine, stopping to scrape the sides of the bowl as needed.
- Alternating between the flour and milk, add each to the butter mixture, beginning and ending with the flour. Beat until just combined, making sure not to overmix.
- Divide batter evenly into the prepared loaf pans (about 2 ½ cups of batter per pan). Bake for 65-70 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of each cake comes out mostly clean.
- Remove from oven and allow to cool in pans for 10 minutes, then remove from the pans. Remove the parchment paper and let cool completely on wire racks.
- Drizzle with extra brown butter for serving (optional).
Did you make this recipe?
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What the Test Kitchen had to say about this recipe:
Autumn
The brown butter adds such a rich flavor to this pound cake! It’s moist, buttery, and just the right amount of sweet. Perfect for any occasion!
Elizabeth
The texture of this pound cake is perfect (like all of our pound cakes, I think). But, I prefer the classic vanilla cake over this one; the browned butter does stand out, so I think this cake will be popular.
Annabelle
This pound cake was okay. I would love it with a little whipped cream, I think.
Bella
I liked the extra brown butter drizzle over my piece of the pound cake. So good!
Selena
I can’t get enough of this cake! It’s become my go-to dessert. The flavor is incredible, and it’s perfect with coffee or tea. I’m definitely making it again!
I make a pound cake when I take out of the oven i pour a utter rum over it after punched holes in it. Love your site. I bake a lot of cheesecakes for charity.
Thanks