This brown butter maple crumb cake is full of texture and deliciously warm flavor! It's super buttery and packs the perfect amount of maple flavor. The topping is crispy and crumbly, while the cake base is dense enough to hold up against the THICK crumb layer - but still very moist and spongy.
It's safe to say I'm so very over summer, and I'm kind of living in a delusional state of fall. I've been putting on Corpse Bride and baking basically every fall recipe you could imagine (p.s. I'm writing this in August just for reference). It's kind of early - even for me - but Michaels had Halloween decorations up, so I took it as a sign that it's totally ok.
I could definitely go for a slice (read: 10) of this brown butter maple crumb cake any day of the year, but it's definitely giving me all the fall vibes. It's basically the feeling of warm and cozy and just all around happiness in crumbly delicious cake form.
what makes this brown butter crumb cake so good?
- brown butter + maple. Either one of those flavors would make for the perfect cake, but both together?? It's an absolutely heavenly combo!
- all the greatest textures. The topping is super crisp and crumbly which balances perfectly with the spongy and soft cake base.
- easy to make. I try to make every recipe as easy as possible. When you think about everything going on in this cake, it's shockingly easy to make considering all the flavor and components!
- THICK crumb topping. I'm a big crumb girl (that definitely wouldn't make any sense outside of this context) so I went with a bold and dramatic NY style crumb cake as the base inspiration for this recipe.
- manageable serving size. I decided to make a smaller 8 inch square cake just because its easier to finish. I love coffee cake more than the next person, but even I struggle to finish a 9x13 inch cake unless I'm having a get together. And your friendly neighborhood introvert (me) isn't hosting a whole lot of parties lol
how to make brown butter maple crumb cake
Brown butter:
1. Brown butter. For the sake of ease, we're browning all the butter we need at once, and then dividing that up later for the different cake components. This recipe features brown butter in the cake base and crumb topping.
I have a more detailed explanation on how to brown butter here, but it's super simple. Here's the gist of it:
- Add butter to skillet.
- Cook, stirring often, until browned
That's really all there is to it. The most important thing to keep in mind is to stir regularly to make sure the bottom doesn't burn. It's going to bubble and sizzle at first, then settle down once it gets closer to browning.
2. Cool browned butter completely before using. It should still be melted and liquid, but should not feel hot to the touch. This will take about 15 to 20 minutes, depending on how cold your home is.
Make the brown butter crumb topping:
1. Whisk together dry ingredients for crumb topping to combine.
2. Mix in 8 tablespoons of browned butter until it starts to stick together. Set aside.
Make the brown butter cake batter:
1. Whisk together dry ingredients for cake batter. Set aside.
2. Whisk together remaining browned butter and wet ingredients for cake.
3. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients, and mix until just combined. Take care not to over mix!
Layer and bake!
1. Spread your cake batter into the bottom of your baking pan.
2. Sprinkle the crumb topping over cake batter.
3. Bake until cooked through. This is a THICK cake, so it'll need at least 40 minutes in the oven. It should be golden brown on top and a skewer inserted into the center should come out clean of any batter (a few moist crumbs are fine!)
4. Cool the cake completely in the pan.
Make the maple icing:
1. Whisk together powdered sugar and maple syrup to combine. If your glaze is too thick, you can thin it out with some added water or milk.
2. Drizzle maple icing over the cooled cake, slice, and enjoy!
Mimi's tips
- use good quality butter. You don't need to get the most expensive stuff on the shelf, but try to grab something a little higher in quality if it's not insanely expensive. It tastes better and usually has a higher fat content (which means less moisture, so less volume lost when it's browned).
- don't rush when browning the butter! I know the temptation to brown the butter over high heat is huge, but it's really important to do it over medium heat to prevent burning!
- stir regularly while browning the butter. This helps prevent getting burnt bits on the bottom. It's better to over stir than to under stir. So if you're not sure how often to stir, it's best to stir constantly. Ok, I'm done saying "stir"...
- spoon and level or weigh flour. This is one of my more precise cake recipes, so it's especially important to measure the flour correctly.
- use real maple syrup. As someone who grew up on the fake stuff and didn't try real maple syrup until she was an adult - trust me on this one! The flavor of real maple syrup is infinitely better and less sickeningly sweet.
- don't over mix your cake batter. It's added work and can make your cake overly dense!
storage
Keep your cake covered with plastic wrap or stored in an airtight container or plastic bag. This cake will keep for around 3 days at room temperature or up to 5 day in the fridge. For the best texture, I recommend serving it within 1 to 2 days.
If you find the crumb topping has softened over time, you can heat the cake in a 350°F oven for 5 to 10 minutes to crisp it back up!
Check out these other recipes!
• Mini Coffee Cake
• Coffee Cake Cheesecake
• Apple Crumb Muffins
• Maple Layer Cake
Brown Butter Maple Crumb Cake Recipe
Ingredients
For the browned butter:
- 1 cup (2 sticks / 225g) unsalted butter, cut into slices
For the crumb topping:
- 1 & ⅓ cups (160g) all-purpose flour, spoon and leveled
- ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar, light or dark
- ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 8 tablespoons (90g) browned butter
For the maple cake batter:
- 1 & ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour, spoon and leveled
- 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- remaining browned butter (about 90g or 8 tablespoons - slightly more or less is fine!)
- ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar, light or dark
- 1 large egg, at room temperature
- ½ cup (140g) real maple syrup
- ½ cup (120g) sour cream, at room temperature
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract (optional) *see notes
For the maple icing:
- ½ cup (65g) powdered sugar, sifted
- 2 tablespoons real maple syrup
- water or milk as needed to reach desired consistency
Instructions
Brown butter:
- Add slices of butter to a large skillet, and set over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, until it melts and turns a golden brown color. This will take about 7 to 10 minutes from start to finish. Pour the browned butter into a heat safe bowl immediately to keep it from browning from the residual heat of the pan. If you have any overly dark bits on the bottom of the pan, leave them behind and discard them once cooled down.1 cup (2 sticks / 225g) unsalted butter,
- Cool the browned butter completely before using (about 15 to 20 minutes). It should still be liquid but no longer hot to the touch.
- Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease an 8 inch square pan and line the bottom and sides with parchment paper. Set aside.
Make the crumb topping:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, both sugars, cinnamon, and salt to combine.1 & ⅓ cups (160g) all-purpose flour,, ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar,, ¼ cup (50g) granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, ½ teaspoon salt
- Add 8 tablespoons of the cooled brown butter, and mix until moistened and it starts to stick together. You should no longer have any streaks of flour, and the mixture should stick together if you pinch it with your fingers. Set aside.8 tablespoons (90g) browned butter
Make the cake batter:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt to combine. Set aside.1 & ½ cups (180g) all-purpose flour,, 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon baking soda, ¼ teaspoon salt
- In a large bowl, combine your remaining browned butter, sugar, egg, maple syrup, sour cream, and vanilla. Whisk to combine.remaining browned butter, ½ cup (100g) packed brown sugar,, 1 large egg,, ½ cup (140g) real maple syrup, ½ cup (120g) sour cream,, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients. Whisk together until just combined. Take care not to overmix!
Layer & bake
- Pour your cake batter into the bottom of your parchment lined pan and spread into an even layer. Sprinkle crumb topping over the cake batter.
- Bake the cake in the center of your preheated 350°F oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until golden brown on top and a skewer inserted into the center comes out with a few moist crumbs (but no wet batter).
- Cool the cake completely to room temperature in the pan before icing.
Make the maple icing:
- In a medium bowl, whisk together powdered sugar and maple syrup until smooth. If the icing is too thick, you can thin it out to your desired consistency using a tiny bit of water or milk. Add liquid gradually (no more than ½ a teaspoon at a time) as icing can suddenly jump from perfect to runny. If you accidentally added too much liquid, you can sift in some more powdered sugar and whisk to combine.½ cup (65g) powdered sugar,, 2 tablespoons real maple syrup, water or milk
- Drizzle the icing over your cooled cake. Slice and serve!
Notes
Enjoy!
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