• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Free Instant Pot Recipe Guide! download now!

FREE 5 Instant Pot Meals in 5 Minutes E Course!


Thank you for subscribing!


Formerly Your Homebased Mom

  • About
  • Latest
  • Contact
NEW! Watch on youtube!

Your Homebased Mom

Leigh Anne Wilkes

  • Recipes
    • Course
      • Appetizers
      • Beverages
      • Bread
      • Breakfast and Brunch
      • Dessert
        • Bars and Brownies
        • Cake
        • Candy and Treats
        • Cookies
        • Ice Cream
        • Pie
      • Main Dishes
      • Salads
      • Sandwiches and Burgers
      • Sauces and Dressings
      • Side Dishes
      • Soup
    • Cooking Method
      • Crock Pot
      • Grilling
      • Instant Pot
      • One Pan
      • Oven
      • Quick and Easy
      • Recipes for Two
    • Ingredients
      • Beef
      • Eggs
      • Pasta
      • Pork
      • Poultry
        • Chicken
        • Turkey
      • Seafood
      • Vegetarian
      • Gluten Free
    • Cuisine
      • American
      • Asian
      • European
      • Indian
      • Italian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican
    • Holiday
      • New Year’s Eve
      • Valentine’s Day
      • St. Patrick’s Day
      • Easter
      • 4th of July
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Christmas
  • Travel
    • Europe
    • United States
      • New York City
      • Portland
    • What To Wear
  • Life
    • Home
    • Party Ideas
    • Empty Nesters
    • Church
      • Activity Day
      • Relief Society
    • Organizational Tips
    • Recommended Reads
  • New? Start Here
  • Subscribe for weekly recipes

    FREE 5 Instant Pot Meals in 5 Minutes E Course!


    Thank you for subscribing!


Recipe Finder

  • Course
    • Appetizers
    • Beverages
    • Bread
    • Breakfast and Brunch
    • Dessert
    • Main Dishes
    • Salads
    • Sandwiches and Burgers
    • Sauces and Dressings
    • Side Dishes
    • Soup
  • Cooking Method
    • Oven
    • Crock Pot
    • Grilling
    • Instant Pot
    • One Pan
    • Quick and Easy
  • Ingredients
    • Beef
    • Eggs
    • Pasta
    • Pork
    • Poultry
    • Seafood
    • Vegetarian
    • Gluten Free
  • Cuisine
    • American
    • Asian
    • European
    • Indian
    • Italian
    • Mediterranean
    • Mexican
  • Holiday
    • New Year’s Eve
    • Valentine’s Day
    • St. Patrick’s Day
    • Easter
    • 4th of July
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Christmas
Home / Latest Posts / Recipes / Course / Dessert / Cake / Brown Butter Cake

Brown Butter Cake

Jump to Recipe Print Share
Share on:
By: Leigh Anne WilkesPosted: 4/24/19Updated: 12/04/21

This post may contain affiliate links. Please see disclosure policy here.

slice of brown butter cake on a plate

Brown Butter Cake is moist and full of amazing flavor and takes your cake baking to the next level thanks to the browned butter.

slice of brown butter cake on a plate

This brown butter cake has amazing flavor.  The cake is light and tender and the frosting is creamy and rich.  A perfect combo.  The secret ingredient to the cake and the frosting is browned butter. As far as I am concerned, the only thing that tastes better than butter, is browned butter!

Cake Ingredients

  • Butter. You will be browning this butter. Follow these directions to make brown butter.
  • Yellow cake mix. I prefer the Duncan Hines brand.
  • Water
  • Eggs
  • Cinnamon

Frosting Ingredients

  • Powdered sugar
  • Vanilla Extract
  • Whipping Cream
  • Butter. You will also be browning this butter
slices of brown butter cake on plates

What is Brown Butter?

Brown butter is butter that is cooked until the fat and milk solids in the butter separate and the milk solids turn brown.  This process happens pretty fast and you can easily burn it and end up with black or burnt butter!  Be sure and keep an eye on it. 

slices of cake on plates

You can find a detailed tutorial on how to make brown butter here.

How to Make Brown Butter

  • Place butter into a saucepan over medium heat.  Stir constantly.  The butter will melt, get foamy and bubble and then start to turn golden brown.  Remove the pan from the heat as soon as it just starts to turn golden brown, if you don’t you will have burned butter cake!    It can go from browned to burned in a few seconds.
  • You will be dividing the browned butter into equal portions between the cake and the frosting.
overhead shot of slice of brown butter cake

How to Make Brown Butter Cake

  • This cake starts with a yellow cake mix. Do not add in the ingredients on the back of the cake mix box.  Instead, add in browned butter, water, eggs and cinnamon listed below.  It will give you a lovely light and tender cake.
  • In a stand mixer or with an electric mixer combine cake mix, eggs, 1/2 cup of browned butter, water and cinnamon in a large bowl.
  • Mix until combined.
  • Pour mixture into a greased 9 x 13 pan. 
  • Bake in the oven at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  • Allow cake to cool and mix up frosting using the link below.
piece of cake and fork

Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting

The frosting also has browned butter in it which makes it the best part of the cake! The cake is delicious too but the frosting is amazing!

Use the full brown butter frosting tutorial and recipe found here for making the most amazing brown butter frosting ever. Just be sure your browned butter has cooled before adding it into the other ingredients.

Tips for Better Cake

  • Bring your chilled ingredients (such as butter, eggs and milk) to room temperature. There is an actual scientific reason for this. Warm ingredients mix together easier and quicker which prevents you from overmixing things. In this case since we are melting the butter it does not need to be at room temperature but bring your eggs to room temperature.
  • Mix ingredients together just until you don’t see any more dry ingredients. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of your bowl to finding anything that might be hiding.
  • I always set my timer for five minutes before the stated recipe time. This helps avoid overbaked cake. Insert a toothpick to make sure cake is cooked through. The cake will also be dry to the touch and bounce bake when you touch it.

slice of brown butter cake on a plate wth a fork

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make the brown butter cake into cupcakes?

Yes, you can! You will bake them for 18-20 minutes. Mini cupcakes will bake for 10-12 minutes.

What does brown butter do to cakes?

It adds some amazing flavor. It brings a richer, nutty, caramel like taste to baked goods. It makes everything better!!

How do you know if brown butter is burnt?

When making your brown butter use a light colored pan, it is easier to watch the process and monitor the color change. If the milk solids which separate out go from dark brown to black, you have burned it. It will also lose its nutty smell.

For more delicious recipes try these:

  • Brown Sugar Cupcakes
  • Brown Butter Cookies
  • Browned Butter Biscuits
  • Toffee Almond Cookies
  • Brown Sugar Cookies
5 from 2 votes
slice of brown butter cake on a plate

Brown Butter Cake

Recipe From: Leigh Anne Wilkes
Brown Butter Cake is moist and full of amazing flavor thanks to the browned butter.
serves: 16 servings
Prep:15 minutes
Cook:30 minutes
0 minutes
Total:45 minutes
Rate Recipe

Ingredients

Cake

  • 1/2 cup butter browned
  • 1 box yellow cake mix
  • 1 cup water
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon

Frosting

  • 4 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • 1/3 cup whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup butter browned

Instructions

  • Heat oven to 350.
  • Melt butter in saucepan over medium heat
  • Continue cooking, stirring constantly and watching closely, until butter JUST starts to turn golden (5-8 minutes)
  • Butter will be foamy and bubble
  • Immediately remove from heat and cool for 15 minutes
  • Combine 1/2 C browned butter and all remaining cake ingredients in large bowl Set aside remaining browned butter for frosting.
  • Beat at low speed 30 seconds. Increase speed to medium; beat, scraping bowl occasionally until well mixed – about 2 minutes
  • Pour batter into greased 9×13 pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean Cool completely
  • Combine remaining browned butter, powdered sugar and vanilla in small bowl
  • Beat at medium speed gradually adding enough milk for desired spreading consistency
  • Frost cooled cake

Tips & Notes:

  • Bring your chilled ingredients (such as butter, eggs and milk) to room temperature. There is an actual scientific reason for this. Warm ingredients mix together easier and quicker which prevents you from overmixing things. In this case since we are melting the butter it does not need to be at room temperature but bring your eggs to room temperature.
  • Mix ingredients together just until you don’t see any more dry ingredients. Use a spatula to scrape down the sides of your bowl to finding anything that might be hiding.
  • I always set my timer for five minutes before the stated recipe time. This helps avoid over baked cake. Insert a toothpick to make sure cake is cooked through. The cake will also be dry to the touch and bounce bake when you touch it.
For cupcakes you will bake them for 18-20 minutes. Mini cupcakes will bake for 10-12 minutes.

Nutrition Facts:

Calories: 357kcal (18%) Carbohydrates: 57g (19%) Protein: 2g (4%) Fat: 13g (20%) Saturated Fat: 8g (50%) Cholesterol: 71mg (24%) Sodium: 355mg (15%) Potassium: 38mg (1%) Sugar: 43g (48%) Vitamin A: 420IU (8%) Calcium: 84mg (8%) Iron: 0.9mg (5%)
* Disclaimer: All nutrition information are estimates only. Read full disclosure here.
Course:Dessert
Cuisine:American
slice of brown butter cake on a plate
Did you make this?I love seeing what you made. Be sure to share a picture and tag @yourhomebasedmom on social media!
Tag on Insta! Leave a Rating

Previous Post
Beef Fajitas
Next Post
Creamy Lemon Chicken

Reader Interactions

Leave a Review Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Made this? Rate this recipe:




  1. Melinda says

    Posted on 9/30 at 6:29 pm

    Hi…..I can’t get yellow cake mix in a box. can you tell me the measurement? Thank you

    Reply
  2. Leigh Anne says

    Posted on 2/14 at 8:12 am

    Mary Kathryn,
    I am sure the butter cake mix will work create. Have fun and Happy birthday to your daughter!

    Reply
  3. Mary Kathryn says

    Posted on 2/13 at 2:25 pm

    I came to your blog today looking for a cake recipe using a cake mix but making some changes. This seems perfect. My daughter will be turning three this weekend and we are having a family over to help celebrate. I was going to make cake from scratch but have a box on hand that I would like to use up. However, my cake mix is the butter recipe cake mix. Do you think it will still work well? Or do you have any other suggestions? Sorry such a long comment. 🙂

    Reply
  4. MelanieL says

    Posted on 4/19 at 6:21 am

    I made this yesterday! It turned out well. I brought it in to work today so I’m anxious to see how everyone likes it! Thanks for the great recipe. Your BEST chocolate cake is next on my list:) Have a great week!

    Reply
  5. Valen says

    Posted on 4/13 at 7:10 pm

    I haven’t worked with browned butter much, I have had every intention to, but just keep putting it off, maybe I will get around to it this week as this looks too good to pass up!

    Reply
Older Comments

Primary Sidebar

Seasonal Posts

cheesy ranch potatoes on a spoon

Cheesy Ranch Potatoes

Parmesan Roasted Asparagus

Roasted Parmesan Asparagus

small batch carrot cake sliced

Small Batch Carrot Cake

bowl of instant pot mashed potatoes

Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes

Most Popular Posts

Herb Rice

texas sheet cake for two in a baking pan

Chocolate Sheet Cake for Two {Texas Sheet Cake}

Lemon Oatmeal Cookies

Lemon Oatmeal Cookies

chicken cooked in the microwave

How to Cook Chicken in the Microwave

Opens in a new window Opens an external site Opens an external site in a new window

Trending Now

overhead shot of cinnamon rolls

One Hour Cinnamon Rolls

plate of smashed potatoes and a fork

Crispy Smashed Potatoes

overhead shot of bowl of almond chicken

Almond Chicken

baked riblets

Easy Oven Baked Riblets

No knead bread in a pan

Instant Pot Bread

Tomato tart pieces

Easy Tomato Tart

spoon full of mac and cheese

Crock Pot Mac and Cheese

Almond Torte

  • Crock Pot
  • Instant Pot
  • Chicken
  • Breakfast
  • Appetizers
  • Bread
  • Salad
  • Dessert

Order my Cookbook, Holiday Slow Cooker!

Buy Now!
Back to Top
  • About
  • Privacy Policy
  • Disclosure
  • Contact
© 2013–2023 Leigh Anne Wilkes Site Credits Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled