Browned Butter Half-Pound Cake


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Browned Butter Half-Pound Cake

Here it is, beautiful readers! My last installment in this week’s browned butter series. I hope you’ve enjoyed this week as much as I have!

Today’s offering is inspired by Kenny, a.k.a. my non sugar-craving half, who thinks all desserts are too rich. I love pound cake, but he has two bites and puts it aside. So I decided to halve the butter, brown it, and see what happens. Verdict? Success!

Browned Butter Half-Pound Cake

People forget how amazing half can be. Why do you think that combo meals with a cup of soup and half a sandwich are so appealing? Reducing something by half can open up options or completely reframe the way we look at the world. Imagine what life would be like if you always had to do everything wholly at one time. No dividing a project in half and doing the rest later, no eating half the brownie and saving the rest for tomorrow, no dressing partway in black and accenting with red shoes and a red jacket. You get the idea.

Browned Butter Half-Pound Cake

Restaurants should definitely serve half portions as a rule. Think how much more customers would be willing to try! You wouldn’t have to stare down a giant plate of pasta, wondering if it could feed a small family. Instead, you could have half of it, and maybe have room for dessert. As a rule of thumb, always save room for dessert! But you’re getting advice from a dessert blogger here.

Browned Butter Half-Pound Cake

As for pound cake, putting in a whole pound of butter is definitely called for sometimes, but to be honest, even half that amount still makes for a pretty rich cake. It’s still good for eating by itself, or cutting into chunks to dip in chocolate, or pairing with fruit. You won’t miss that half pound!

Browned Butter Half-Pound Cake

In fact, the full half pound isn’t all in the cake itself. You reserve a tablespoon of the browned butter and brush the top of the cake with both that and sugar while it’s baking. It’s pretty much the perfect finish for the cake.

Browned Butter Half-Pound Cake

To be honest, I might have let this go in the oven just a touch too long. My baking projects are usually punctuated with needy children, so I would advise you to keep a close eye on the cake. You want a toothpick to come out clean, but that’s it. Don’t wait for it to brown too much.

Browned Butter Half-Pound Cake

If we had a chance to do everything more halfway, some parts of life would suffer. But think about how much potential lies in half. After all, we can’t have everything!

 

Browned Butter Half-Pound Cake

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup milk (I used two-percent)

Instructions

  1. Preheat the oven to 350. Coat a loaf pan with cooking spray.
  2. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Turn the heat down to medium-low and continue to let it cook, swirling the butter often, until it becomes golden in color and fragrant (about 10-12 minutes). Remove from the heat.
  3. Combine the browned butter (reserve one tablespoon) and sugar, stirring until smooth. Add the eggs and lemon juice, and mix again. Add the dry ingredients and stir until incorporated. Finally, add the milk and mix until the batter is without lumps.
  4. Bake for 35 minutes. Brush the remaining tablespoon of browned butter on top along with a sprinkling of sugar. Continue to bake for 10-15 minutes until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
  5. Remove the cake from the oven and allow to cool completely.
  6. Cut into slices and serve. Store covered at room temperature for up to one week!
https://justaboutbaked.com/browned-butter-half-pound-cake/

 

Mir

I fulfill many roles in life: wife, mother, teacher, everlasting learner. This site is dedicated to one role that expresses my creativity in ways that I find consistently challenging and rewarding: baker. Inventing new ways to enhance food, especially if that food involves chocolate or peanut butter (or both!), is a passion of mine. I look forward to sharing my ideas with you.

This Post Has 25 Comments

  1. Stacey @ Bake.Eat.Repeat.

    That looks amazing Mir! I love the idea of a half pound cake, especially with browned butter! I’m sure it was fantastic!
    Stacey @ Bake.Eat.Repeat. recently posted…Easter PopcornMy Profile

    1. Mir

      I was pretty surprised that it worked as well as it did, Stacey! Who knew you could literally cut the butter in half?

  2. Annie @ ciaochowbambina

    I am loving this pound cake with half my heart x 2! Haha! Cheesy, I know! This looks perfect!
    Annie @ ciaochowbambina recently posted…Meatball Pizza with Garlic Oil & Crushed Red PepperMy Profile

    1. Mir

      Cheesy but hilarious, Annie! You always make me laugh.

  3. Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice

    I think this is my favorite browned butter recipe, Mir! Love it! And such a great idea to do a half pound cake. Yum!
    Gayle @ Pumpkin ‘N Spice recently posted…Roasted Garlic CauliflowerMy Profile

    1. Mir

      Oh yay, Gayle! I know that sweets are not your #1 love, so I’m glad I made a winner for you!

  4. Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom

    Mir, what a way to end this week’s browned butter series!!! I love this browned butter pound cake! and you are so right about halves . . when I was in Dallas last week for spring break, we went to a restaurant that serves more “healthy” dishes, with the calorie count next to each menu item and smaller portions. and it was a nice restaurant too! anyway, I think people are used to “bigger is better” and liking bigger portions of food. . hence the serving sizes at Cheesecake Factory etc. . anyway. . glad you halved things up today. And you made Kenny happy too! 🙂
    Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom recently posted…Spring Medley FrittataMy Profile

    1. Mir

      I used to love the Cheesecake Factory before they started posting their nutrition info. Then I was just plain horrified. How in the heck does one slice of cake have 1750 calories?! That’s not okay, even in my dessert decadence book!
      I want to try that place in Dallas, Alice. Ooh, that rhymed!

  5. Jen @ Baked by an Introvert

    Love that you halved a pound cake. Seriously, who needs a massive pound cake lying around their kitchen? I don’t. I’d want to eat it ALL.
    Jen @ Baked by an Introvert recently posted…Talk Friday, 2My Profile

    1. Mir

      Me too, Jen, because I really heart pound cake. And it’s not good for my heart. So this one is better!

  6. Lily Lau

    Oh Mir, your cake looks so brilliant… 🙂 Thanks for sharing it with us!

    1. Mir

      Thanks, Lily! I love sharing!

  7. Medha @ Whisk & Shout

    Love your philosophy… I never really thought about why I like a little of everything rather than a lot of one thing, but you’re so right! This looks amazing 🙂
    Medha @ Whisk & Shout recently posted…Rainbow Soba SaladMy Profile

    1. Mir

      I’m definitely into a little bit of everything. I don’t want to miss out, Medha!

  8. Erin @ Miss Scrambled Egg

    Mir – This looks perfect. I’d love this with some tea and a little jam. YUM! I love that you top off the bread with some browned butter. 🙂
    Erin @ Miss Scrambled Egg recently posted…Frumpy Coconut Granola BarsMy Profile

    1. Mir

      Thanks, Erin! I love pound cake with tea. It’s the perfect combo!

  9. mira

    Really happy to see another browned butter recipe Mir! Love this bread! Have a nice holiday!
    mira recently posted…Raspberry MojitoMy Profile

    1. Mir

      Thanks, Mira! Hope yours was good!

  10. Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze

    This looks so yummy! And your other half doesn’t like sweets? Mine is the same way too!! Funny huh? This pound cake sounds delicious and browned butter sounds amazing! I’d love to have a few slices right now! Pinned!
    Cyndi – My Kitchen Craze recently posted…Banana Snack Cake with Cream Cheese FrostingMy Profile

    1. Mir

      I have a theory about men not craving sweets as much. Thanks for the pin, Cyndi!

  11. Julianne @ Beyond Frosting

    Brown butter in a pound cake sounds down right amazing!!
    Julianne @ Beyond Frosting recently posted…Food Blog Forum Recap- Monthly Mixer 9My Profile

    1. Mir

      Thanks, Julianne! It totally changed up the flavor.

  12. Mary Frances

    Too rich?? Is there such a thing? Good thing he has you to make sure those are taken care of 😉 We just had pound cake tonight and were talking about how it is the perfect balance of rich but not too much. I have to try this browned butter version next time! Pinned for future use!
    Mary Frances recently posted…Pineapple and Grapefruit LemonadeMy Profile

    1. Mir

      I know. It’s so ridiculous. Isn’t dessert SUPPOSED to be rich?! Thanks for pinning, Mary Frances!

  13. Pingback: Almond Half-Pound Cake | Just About Baked

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