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Filled with amazing flavor along with a nice tender, moist texture this brown sugar cake is a crowd favorite. Topping it with a brown butter frosting takes it to the next level.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe!
The flavor: Thanks to the brown sugar this cake has amazing flavor. The flavor combination of light and dark brown sugar and the brown butter frosting is incredible!
The texture. The brown sugar cake is dense yet tender as well as nice and moist.
It feeds a crowd. A bundt cake is always a perfect dessert when you have a good size group to feed. You can slice the cake as thin or thick as you like, depending on how many people there are.
Ingredients Needed
- Brown Sugar. I use a combination of 1 cup light brown sugar and 1 cup dark brown sugar. You can use all brown sugar if you prefer. If you use all dark brown sugar your cake will have a stronger molasses flavor.
- Granulated Sugar.
- Flour. I use unbleached all purpose flour.
- Butter. Salted butter at room temperature.
- Eggs. I use large eggs
- Vanilla Extract. Use pure vanilla for best flavor.
- Milk. I prefer whole milk but you can also use half and half or 2 percent.Y
- Salt. If using unsalted b utter add in a pinch more salt.
- Baking Powder. Make sure your baking powder is fresh.
How To Make Brown Sugar Cake
- Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
- Grease and flour (or use Baker’s Joy) a 10 inch (12 cup) bundt pan.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream together the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy. You can also use an electric mixer.
- Add in eggs, one at a time and pour in the vanilla.
- In a medium bowl, combine dry ingredients – flour, salt and baking powder and whisk together.
- Alternately add in flour, then milk into the sugar mixture. Mixing just until combined.
- Add in pecans or toffee bits if using.
- Pour batter into prepared bundt pan.
- Bake for 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for 10-15 minutes and then turn out onto a wire rack. Cool completely before frosting.
How to Make Brown Butter Frosting:
- In a small sauce pan, melt butter and cook until it turns golden brown. See this post for more tips on browning butter.
- Add in sugar and milk and cook until almost boiling.
- Add in vanilla and powdered sugar. Stir until smooth.
- Allow to cool for 5 minutes and then spoon over top of brown sugar cake.
Variations
- Add in 1 cup of chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans into the cake. I prefer toasted nuts.
- Sprinkle 1/2 cup of chopped toasted nuts on top of the frosting before it sets up.
- Add in 1 8 oz. package of toffee bits into the cake batter.
- Instead of frosting the brown sugar cake you can drizzle the top of the cake with caramel sauce.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I substitute regular sugar for brown sugar?
Not in this cake. The brown sugar adds a lot of moisture in this cake so don’t substitute.
What if I don’t have a bundt pan?
You can substitute two 8x 4 x 2½–inch loaf pans for the one bundt pan. If using a bundt pan, it should be a 12 cup pan.
Can I freeze brown sugar cake?
This cake freezes wonderfully. I prefer to freeze it by the slice wrapping each slice in plastic wrap and then foil and then I can just pull out one piece at a time and enjoy. You can also freeze the full cake in an airtight container. If freezing the whole cake I would recommend frosting it after it has thawed and you are ready to serve it. It will last in the freezer for 2-3 months.
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Brown Sugar Cake
Ingredients
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1.5 cups butter room temperature.
- 5 eggs
- 1.5 Tbsp vanilla extract
- 1 cup whole milk or half and half
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 cup toasted chopped pecans or toffee bits optional add in
Brown Butter Frosting
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup brown sugar light
- 1/4 cup milk
- 1/2 tsp vanilla
- 2 cups powdered sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 325 Degrees F.
- Grease and flour a 10 inch Bundt pan (12 cup)
- In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream together butter, brown sugar and granulated sugar until light and fluffy.
- Add in eggs one at a time
- Stir in vanilla.
- In a bowl, combine flour, salt and baking powder, stir to combine.
- Alternately pour in flour and then milk into sugar and butter mixture. Beat until combined.
- If using nuts or toffee bits, add in now.
- Pour batter into prepared pan and bake for 60-75 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
- Cool in pan for 10 minutes, turn cake over onto a cooling rack and cool completely. Then frost.
Brown Butter Frosting.
- In a small saucepan, over medium heat, brown butter. It will turn golden brown
- Add in brown sugar and milk and heat until it almost comes to a boil. It can bubble around the edges of the pan.
- Remove from heat and cool for 10 minutes.
- Add in vanilla and powdered sugar.
- Cool for 5 minutes and then spoon over top of cake.
Tips & Notes:
- Add in 1 cup of chopped nuts such as walnuts or pecans into the cake. I prefer toasted nuts.
- Sprinkle 1/2 cup of chopped toasted nuts on top of the frosting before it sets up.
- Add in 1 8 oz. package of toffee bits into the cake batter.
- Instead of frosting you can drizzle the top of the cake with caramel sauce.
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Nutrition Facts:
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