I promised you a recipe for brown butter icing a while ago, back when I posted my recipe for No-Egg Browned-Butter Cake. It took a while, but here it is, in all its decadent, messy glory.
The resulting icing tastes a bit like Penuche, but is less intense and far more accommodating. If you’ve ever made classic Penuche Icing, you’ll know you have a narrow window between spreadable frosting and rip-your-cake fudge. This icing remains pliable, has a subtle nuttiness, and a hint of the caramel tones Penuche-lovers crave. Because it’s less intense, it won’t overpower the cake, so you can pair it with almost any flavour — chocolate, vanilla, brown butter, spice cake, to name a few.
WHY THE DOUBLE BATCH?
I like efficiency in the kitchen where possible. Since browning butter takes time and requires clean-up, I developed a frosting that uses a full cup of butter. In for a penny, in for a pound — or a half-pound, in this case.
If you’re making the brown butter cake, use half the brown butter for the cake and the rest for a half-batch of icing. No waste.
If your cake doesn’t use browned butter, whip up the full batch of frosting. It won’t go to waste. I promise. A whole recipe makes enough for two cakes or a double-layer naked cake. Got leftover icing? It freezes well, so you can put the unused portion away for later. But be warned. I’ve been known to eat it straight from the freezer with a spoon. If your stash disappears, look for guilty-looking family members with spoons behind their backs.
WHEN TO STRAIN BROWN BUTTER?
To strain or not to strain? That is the question. You’ve likely read brown butter recipes calling for the added step of straining the butter. If I’m making brown butter for something solid, like a cake, cookie, pastry, or frosting recipe, I don’t bother straining. The little browned bits add flavour and won’t affect the final result.
However, if I’m using it in something pourable, like a vinaigrette or clear sauce, I might strain the brown butter through a fine-mesh sieve for looks. I might not. Depends who I’m trying to impress. And let’s face it, during a pandemic, who am I inviting to dinner these days?
So, if you’re looking for something a little different without having to make a special trip to the grocery store, this might be it.
This recipe makes enough to ice two 8-inch square cakes or a double-layer 9-inch round naked cake. Or 24 cupcakes. Or a single 9×13 cake. Providing you don’t snack on it/
Scale
Ingredients
1 cup (225 g)salted butter 2 cups (250 g) icing sugar (also called confectioners’ sugar or powdered sugar) 2 tablespoons (30 ml) milk 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vanilla
generous pinch salt
Instructions
In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter has melted, gently swirl the pot and continue to cook until the butter has browned. The butter is finished when it has turned dark amber and smells nutty.
Pour the browned butter into a medium heat-proof bowl or glass measuring cup. Cover, and refrigerate until solid.
Using a hand held mixer, beat the butter for a few seconds or until smooth.
Add the icing sugar, milk, vanilla, and salt. Beat on low until the icing sugar is fully incorporated. You might want to cover the bowl with a tea towel to prevent the icing sugar from flying about.
Once the icing sugar is blended into the butter, increase the speed to high and beat until the icing is very light and fluffy. Stop and scrape down the side of the bowl a few times. When it looks good, keep beating. Beat for at LEAST 5 minutes, and ideally for up to 10 minutes. The long beating produces a very smooth and creamy icing.
