Butterscotch Cake

Butterscotch is nothing more than brown sugar and butter cooked into something magic, and this old-fashioned cake leans into both. Packed brown sugar in the batter gives the layers a deep caramel flavor and a moist, tender crumb, helped along by soft cake flour.

But the real butterscotch hit comes from the frosting, and from one step you can’t shortcut: browning the butter. You melt it slowly over low heat and watch it like a hawk until the milk solids turn golden and smell toasty and nutty. That browned butter is what gives the frosting its true toffee depth, the thing a plain buttercream can never fake.

Stir in the powdered sugar, vanilla and a little cream while it cools, beating until it’s smooth and spreadable.

Two tender layers, a generous swoop of nutty browned-butter frosting between and over them, and you’ve got a homey, deeply flavored cake that tastes like a butterscotch candy in cake form.

Chef Tips

• Brown the butter slowly and watch it closely. It goes from golden and nutty to burnt in seconds, and burnt butter tastes acrid.
• Don’t overbeat the batter once the eggs and remaining milk go in. Mix just to combine for a tender crumb.
• Let the frosting cool to a spreadable consistency before using it. Too warm and it runs straight off the layers.

Variations

• Fold toasted pecans or walnuts into the frosting for crunch and a praline edge.
• Add a pinch of flaky salt over the frosting for a salted-butterscotch finish.
• Drizzle with butterscotch or caramel sauce for extra decadence.