Chocolate Spice Cake With Brown Butter Frosting
Wed, Sep 30, 2009
Welcome Fall!!
It is not exactly cool here, but we have had three days where the temps have stayed cool enough for the air to be crisp, and that puts me in a Fall baking mood! I decided to break out all the ingredients for a spice cake when a bar of dark chocolate caught my eye. What, I wondered, would happen if I tried to make a chocolate spice cake?
This is the result!
The cake is delicate and moist, and it stays moist for a few days so it is perfect for after school/work snacking. It also transports well making it good for pot-luck dinners or neighborhood parties.
I decided to top this cake with a brown butter frosting. Not only is the frosting good, the nuttiness of the browned butter adds another level of roundness with the chocolate and spices.
Chocolate Spice Cake with Brown Butter Frosting Serves 9
For the cake:
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 ounce dark (at least 64%) chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup cake flour
1/4 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon all-spice
1/2 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
For the frosting:
3 tablespoons butter
1 3/4 cups powdered sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
1-3 tablespoons cream
Heat the oven to 350 F and spray an 8″x8″ cake pan with non-stick spray.
In a large bowl cream the butter and sugar until well mixed. Add the vanilla and the egg and whisk until lighter in color and well mixed. Stir in the melted chocolate.
In another bowl sift the flour, cocoa powder, spices, baking soda, and baking powder.
Alternately add the flour mixture and milk into the butter, in three additions, beginning and ending with the flour.
Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the sides of the cake begin to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool in the pan for ten minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
While the cake cools prepare the frosting.
In a small pan over medium heat brown the butter until it is nut brown. Be sure to stir the butter constantly.
Allow the butter to cool to room temperature.
Beat the butter, powdered sugar and vanilla until combined. Add the cream, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach your preferred consistency.
Frost the cake and serve.
© 2009, Evil Shenanigans – Baking & Cooking Blog. All rights reserved.
Tags: brown butter, brown butter frosting, Chocolate, chocolate spice cake, single layer cake, snack cake, spice cake
mmm what an awesome chocolatey cake. I’m loving the brown butter frosting, makes me want to reach in and grab myself a slice
Oh chocolate cake. how I wish I had a nice big slice to that right now. *drool*
hi
your cake looks delicious! I have got to try that brown butter frosting..
Sounds wonderful!
Wow, this sounds wonderful. I love spice cake, but I also love chocolate. And brown butter frosting? Can you please send me some?
Oohh what a great combo! I love brown butter frosting. This cake looks delish:)
This looks and sounds so fantastic, I might have to make it this weekend! I already have all of the ingredients…
Yum! Send a slice of that my way. The chocolate cake with fall spices sounds delish!
I’ve never had brown butter frosting, but it sounds (and looks) delicious!
Um, hello. YUM! I had to go back and read your words before I commented just now but that’s exactly what I was thinking… the nuttiness of the browned butter has to just complete the spice and chocolate in the cake. Okay. Making this. Period and Amen!
I am usually not a huge cake/frosting fan, but this one I can do:) It looks fantastic!
Oh my. That looks amazing. I have to try chocolate spice something.
Oh my, I want a piece….
I have the worst luck w/ anything calling for brown butter. I’m always afraid I’m going to cook it too long and end up not cooking it long enough. This sounds good, though, and makes me want to try it again.
That looks so good! I am trying not to lick the butter frosting off my computer screen!!! Will keep this in my files to try out… Thank you for sharing
)
I wish that fork was mine so I could take a bite.
I love spice cakes they just scream fall. Definitely going to try this recipe out, curl up with a good book in front of the fire and enjoy
This looks like the best chocolate cake. I am saving it, so I could make it for my mother-in-law.
I just love the scent of those spices when the cake is baking…gorgeous picture!
Now see, I wouldn’t have thought of cloves in sweet things — I normally think of that as a savory spice.
I love brown butter but have never made it into a frosting…delicious!
Wow, this looks delicious! Definitely have to try this one out.
I’ve never baked a cake in my life. Before tonight, the extent of my kitchen skills outside of high school home ec (which was now over 10 years ago) was grilled cheese and frozen pizza. When I wanted to make my girlfriend her favorite birthday cake, yours was the first Google hit for “chocolate spice cake”. After much planning and measuring and mixing — it’s edible! Thank you so much for the recipe! It did turn out very delicate — it literally melts in your mouth. Wonderful! Thanks again.
Made this cake this afternoon without the frosting (didn’t have powdered sugar – bummer). It was more delicious than I thought it would be and I thought it would be amazing.
People, make this cake!!
I love chocolate and I love spices. I am going to try this cake! ( my favorite chocolate is Lindt chili)