Fluffy Vanilla Brown Butter Cupcakes
When you're looking for a dessert that feels a little more grown-up than your standard birthday treat, these Vanilla Brown Butter Cupcakes are the absolute gold standard. There is an undeniable magic that happens when you take the extra few minutes to brown your butter; it transforms a simple vanilla base into a rich, nutty masterpiece with deep notes of toasted caramel.
Ingredients
- For the Cupcakes:
- ½ cup 1 stick unsalted butter, browned and cooled
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 2 large eggs room temperature
- 1 ½ tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
- 1 ½ cups cake flour
- 1 ½ tsp baking powder
- ¼ tsp salt
- ½ cup buttermilk room temperature
- For the Brown Butter Buttercream:
- ¾ cup 1.5 sticks unsalted butter, browned and solidified
- 2 ½ cups powdered sugar sifted
- 2 tbsp heavy cream
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
- Brown the butter: In a saucepan over medium heat, melt all 1.25 cups of butter. Cook until it smells nutty and brown specks form. Pour into a bowl. Reserve ½ cup in liquid form for the cake; let the remaining ¾ cup solidify in the fridge until it reaches a softened butter consistency.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and line a cupcake tin.
- In a medium bowl, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt.
- In a large bowl, cream the ½ cup liquid brown butter and sugar for 2 minutes. Add eggs and vanilla, beating until fluffy.
- Add ⅓ of the dry ingredients, followed by half of the buttermilk. Repeat, ending with the dry ingredients.
- Fill liners ⅔ full. Bake for 17–20 minutes until a tester comes out clean. Cool completely.
- Make the frosting: Beat the solidified brown butter until creamy. Gradually add powdered sugar, cream, vanilla, and salt. Whip on high for 3 minutes until light and airy.
- Pipe onto cooled cupcakes and enjoy!