Pumpkin Bourbon Cake With Brown Butter Bourbon Buttercream

Pumpkin Bourbon Cake With Brown Butter Bourbon Buttercream. Did you get that? There’s a heavy hand of bourbon in this cake and it’s a lovely thing. And I have a strong affection for alliteration. So there’s that.

Let’s just get this out of the way first: Yes, yes indeed you can make this cake without alcohol. I’ll tell you how in the notes below. So hang tight while we talk about her. Give her a good look…she’s a stunner.

If you love baking with pumpkin as much as I do, I hope you’ll also check out: Delicious Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Muffins, this Easy Moist Pumpkin Bread Recipe, these Pumpkin Streusel Muffins, Pumpkin Cupcakes with Chai Frosting, Caramel Pumpkin Bars with Toasted Marshmallow Meringue, Petite Spiced Pumpkin Scones and these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.

And don’t forget to check out the pumpkin cookies and cakes in The Cookie Book and The Cake Book!

The Baker’s Guide to Measuring Flour

One of the biggest (and most common) mistakes in baking is how we measure flour. If you find yourself without a scale, see my top tips on how to properly measure flour for the perfect amount every time!

My Favorite Tools for Making Fabulous Sheet Cakes

My absolute favorite tools for making this Pumpkin Bourbon Cake with Brown Butter Buttercream are:

My favorite whisk and heat-safe nesting glass bowls that I really need everyone to own.

My trusty scale for precision.

My favorite spatula meets spoonula  for mixing (I love this soft blue). FYI the spatula in the video is no longer being made..RIP.

This is my favorite 8 x 11–inch (20.3 x 28–cm Staub Baking Dish to bake this cake in. 

About this Bourbon Pumpkin Cake

We start with a moist pumpkin cake. Super simple. Nothing too fancy. Nothing you should have to run to the store for. We get our first bump of bourbon once the cake has cooled.

We make super simple, simple syrup (as one does) and throw in some hefty glugs of bourbon. Think of it as a little cocktail for your cake. Pour that evenly over the top. Yes, that’s right. Drink it all up my little love.

Lastly, we whisk together a very simple (again with the simple) American buttercream. We start with our brown butter, then we let it cool. Once cooled, we then blend it well with some milk + bourbon.

Are you getting the theme here? Throw in some spices and powdered sugar and hey-o, you’ve got yourself some right fit buttercream. Smear it over the top, make some swoops and swirls if you’re feeling fancy, and it’s done.

If I might suggest a side of bourbon with your bourbon cake, I think that’s the proper way to do this, don’t you?

The Magic of Browning Butter

My number one (only?) reason for browning butter is that the flavor it imparts on baked goods is next level. Think of flavors like toffee and caramel being added to your cookie without actually adding toffee and caramel.

Browning butter only takes about 5 minutes, with an additional 5-ish minutes more for it to cool before using. It’s literally the only element keeping this from being a true, one-bowl recipe (because we need the saucepan for browning).

When browning butter, moisture in the butter evaporates. This is why I like to get in and brown my butter quick as the longer your saucepan is on the hot burner the more moisture will evaporate.

When you brown butter, you loose volume. A stick of butter (US) weighs 113 g. Post browning it will weigh about 83 grams.

If you start with 8 tablespoons (113 g) of butter and follow my browning butter instructions below, I don’t think you need to then, again, weigh your brown butter (unless out of curiosity). But this is a good baking fact to stash away for all of your brown butter baking.

I have a full brown butter tutorial here!

Favorite Brown Butter Recipes

Adding brown butter really elevates these recipes: Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Bar Cookies, Spiced Apple Cake With Brown Butter Buttercream, Pumpkin Bourbon Cake With Brown Butter Bourbon Buttercream and Brown Butter Banana Bread.

Here is a complete list of Brown Butter Recipes on DisplacedHousewife!

More Pumpkin Please!

If you love baking with pumpkin as much as I do, I hope you’ll also check out these Pumpkin Streusel Muffins, Pumpkin Cupcakes with Chai Frosting, Caramel Pumpkin Bars with Toasted Marshmallow Meringue and these Pumpkin Chocolate Chip Cookies.

And don’t forget to check out the pumpkin cookies and cakes in The Cookie Book and The Cake Book!

Want more cake tips, ideas & recipes?! Check out my 10 Favorite Easy Tips for Perfect Cakes! 

Enjoy your Pumpkin Bourbon Cake With Brown Butter Buttercream!

Pumpkin Bourbon Cake With Brown Butter Bourbon Buttercream

This Pumpkin Bourbon Cake with Brown Butter Bourbon Buttercream is EVERYTHING! We start with a mega moist pumpkin cake (yum). Then we make a super simple, simple syrup (as one does) and throw in a heavy hand of bourbon. Think of it as a little cocktail for your cake. It's finished with a thick layer of brown butter bourbon (yes, more bourbon!) frosting that is the stuff of dreams! *You can omit the alcohol if you'd like. xo

5 from 6 reviews

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Prep Time: 40 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 45 minutes minutes

Course: Dessert

Cuisine: Cake

Keyword: Sheet Cake, Snacking Cake, Fall, Baking, Dessert, Pumpkin, Bourbon, Brown Butter, Buttercream

Servings: 12 Servings

Author: Rebecca Firth

Ingredients

For the Cake

• 12 tablespoons (170 g) unsalted butter (room temperature)
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup (105g) light or dark brown sugar (packed)
• 1 cup (215 g) pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling; 100% pumpkin)
• 2 large eggs (room temperature)
• 1/2 cup (112 g) water ( room temperature)
• 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
• 2 cups (272 g) all-purpose flour (how to measure flour)
• 2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon sea salt
• 1/2 teaspoon allspice
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/4 teaspoon cloves

For the Bourbon Simple Syrup

• 1/3 cup (63 g) granulated sugar
• 1/4 cup (56 g) water
• 3 tablespoons bourbon

For the Brown Butter Buttercream

• 83 grams unsalted brown butter  (about 8 tablespoons (113 g) unsalted butter before browning)
• 2 tablespoon bourbon
• 2 tablespoons milk
• 3 cups (390 g) confectioners’ sugar (sifted)
• ½ teaspoon cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

For the Cake

• Preheat your oven to 350°F (177°C), make sure a rack is in the center of the oven and and grease a 8 x 10 (2.8 qt.) baking dish and line with parchment paper, letting the excess fall over the sides.
• Place the 12 tablespoons butter, granulated sugar and brown sugar in an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and mix on medium until creamy and well blended, about 4 minutes. Add in the pumpkin and mix for 1 minute more. Periodically scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure everything is well blended. With the mixer on low, add the eggs one at a time mixing completely before adding in the next. Add the water and vanilla and run the mixer on low for 1 minute more.
• In a medium bowl whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, sea salt, allspice, nutmeg, ginger and cloves. Pour into the stand mixer and mix on low until barely combined and you still see streaks of flour. Take the bowl out of the mixer and gently fold the batter several more times until you see no more streaks. Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, smoothing the top and gently tapping on the counter several times to release any trapped bubbles.
• Bake in the center of the oven for 40-45 minutes. I like to lightly press the center of the cakes to see if it’s done…if it springs back it’s done. Let cool for 15 minutes in the pan, then use the parchment overhand to pull the cake from the pan and finish cooling on a cooling rack. Once the cake has cooled, place it back in the pan.

For the Simple Syrup

• In a small saucepan heat the sugar and water, stirring until the sugar has melted; set aside to cool. Once cool, whisk in the bourbon and pour over the cooled cake.

For the Buttercream

• Place 8 tablespoons (113 g) butter in a small sauce pan and melt over medium heat. Once melted, crank up the heat to medium high. Stand by, continuously stirring and watching. Small golden bits will start to settle on the bottom of the pan. Once this happens, take it off the heat and pour into a medium, heat-safe bowl to cool until closer to room temperature, but still liquid.

  (For more details on browning butter, check out my How to Perfectly Brown Butter tutorial)
• In an electric stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add the cooled brown butter, bourbon and milk and mix on low until combined.. Add in the powdered sugar and mix on low until fully blended and smooth. Add in the cinnamon, nutmeg and mix until smooth. Spread over the top of the cake…I like to leave a ½-inch gutter around the edge of the cake so that you can see it when looking over the top. But you do you! Enjoy!! **I sprinkled some nutmeg over the top (because I love it), but again, you do you!

Notes

Pumpkin Puree

Use 100% pure pumpkin and not pumpkin pie filling. My absolute favorite is Libbys as it lends the perfect taste and texture to baked goods. If you don’t have access to Libbys, just know that canned pumpkin brands vary in consistency.

 

If the brand you use is especially watery, consider draining the pumpkin on several layers of paper towels (or a clean kitchen cloth) prior to adding it to the cake batter.

Want a Brown Butter Refresher? 

Check out my How to Make Perfect Brown Butter tutorial.

 

Cake Tips!

Want more cake tips, ideas & recipes?! Check out my 10 Favorite Easy Tips for Perfect Cakes! 

Thanks for baking with me! Please rate + comment this recipe and tag me on social @displacedhousewife #displacedhousewife so I can see your beautiful treats! xo