Pumpkin Spice Cake with brown butter icing - originally posted Jun 8/14

I had somewhat low expectations for this recipe.  It looked like a standard pumpkin cake recipe.  And since 'brown butter' is very trendy right now I've been avoiding it.  I mean, I've been browning butter since before it was cool so I'm annoyed at all the jonny come latelys with their brown butter ways.
But I had some pumpkin taking up space in my freezer and I'm making room for rhubarb.  That's the other strange part-who makes pumpkin cake in the summer?  Usually it's a fall/winter cake with it's warm, dense texture and comforting spicy smell.  I made it anyway.  It's a winner.  Try it yourself and let me know what you think.

1 cup flour

1 cup barley flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp cardamom

1/2 cup olive oil

1/2 cup plain yogurt

4 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups pureed pumpkin

 

Grease and flour a bundt pan or a 13x9-inch baking pan. (remember, they're interchangeable)

Combine the flour, baking powder, soda, salt, and spices; set aside.

 

In a mixing bowl with electric mixer, beat the sugars with oil, yogurt, eggs, vanilla, and pumpkin until smooth and well blended. Slowly beat in the dry ingredients until moistened; beat for about 1 minute on medium speed, or until the batter is smooth and well blended. Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Bake for about 45 minutes in a 350F oven, or until the cake springs back when lightly touched with a finger. (a rectangular pan will cook much faster)  Cool completely.

 

Brown Butter Frosting

5 Tbsp butter

2 cups icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla

2 to 3 Tbsp milk

 

Heat the unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat until melted. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, just until the butter begins to turn a golden brown, about 5 minutes. Immediately remove from heat and let cool.

 

Sift the confectioners' sugar into a mixing bowl. When the butter is completely cooled, add to the confectioners' sugar along with the vanilla and 1 tablespoon of milk. Slowly beat to blend, adding 1 to 2 tablespoons of milk, or enough to get to a desired spreading consistency. If you're making a bundt cake, make the icing thinner so you can drizzle it and let it drip down the sides of the cake a little.  If you're making a 9X13 cake, make it stiffer and fluffy enough to spread it and make swirls with your knife.

 

Enjoy!