Brown Butter Bourbon Loaf Cake Recipe

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The humble loaf cake is a culinary chameleon. They can be made in endless flavors, shapes, and sizes, ranging from basic pound cakes to fruit and spice cakes of all persuasions. Easy to make and transport, loaf cakes are the ultimate hostess gift, coffee companion, or picnic dessert. You can dress them up or down, glazed or not, but they will always provide a warm and wonderful feeling of comfort. This brown butter bourbon loaf cake recipe, courtesy of recipe developer Julie Kinnaird, combines the nutty and rich flavor of brown butter with a touch of bourbon, fresh pears, and sweet pecans. Brown sugar enhances the hints of vanilla and caramel, and the cake is finished with a boozy bourbon and brown butter glaze.

If you haven't baked with bourbon before, note that much of the alcohol will evaporate in the baking process, leaving behind its characteristic smoky, vanilla-caramel essence. The bourbon is a bit more pronounced in the glaze since it is not cooked out, so feel free to adjust that amount to taste. This loaf actually improves a day or two after baking, as the flavors have time to meld and the texture becomes even more moist and delicate. Just keep the loaf tightly wrapped in plastic or foil and refrigerated to preserve the delicate pear inclusions.

This recipe starts with making the brown butter, for which you'll need unsalted butter sticks. The cake's dry ingredients include all-purpose flour, baking powder and baking soda for leavening, and salt to balance the flavors. The brown butter is creamed together with light brown sugar, then mixed with large eggs, sour cream, your choice of bourbon, and a little vanilla extract. You will fold in chopped ripe pears and raw pecans to complete the batter. Once the loaf cake has baked, you will make a glaze from some of the reserved brown butter, powdered sugar, and more bourbon and salt.

Preheat the oven to 350 F.

Spray a 6-cup loaf pan with baking spray and set aside.

Heat the butter in a small heavy pot over medium heat.

Once the butter starts to bubble and foam, stir constantly until the milk solids are browned and there is a nutty aroma.

Transfer the brown butter to a shallow heat-proof bowl and set aside 2 tablespoons to be used in the glaze.

Place the larger amount of the brown butter in the freezer for 15 minutes, then stir until completely smooth.

In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the cooled brown butter and brown sugar.

Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.

Mix in the sour cream, bourbon, and vanilla until smooth.

Add the flour mixture to the wet mixture and mix just until combined.

Stir the pears and pecans into the batter.

Transfer the batter to the prepared pan.

Bake the loaf cake for 50-55 minutes, until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean.

Cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes.

While the cake is cooling, mix together the remaining 2 tablespoons brown butter, powdered sugar, bourbon, and salt to make the glaze.

Invert the cake onto a wire rack. Carefully remove the cake pan.

Set the cake and rack over a sheet pan lined with parchment paper and spread the glaze over the top.

Allow the glaze to set for 30 minutes before slicing and serving the cake.

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Making some basic flavor substitutions in this recipe is easy to do, as long as you keep the formula for the cake batter intact. Start with the fruit and nuts. If pecans are not your favorite, think walnuts or hazelnuts as a delicious and well-paired swap. The meaty texture and earthy flavor of the walnuts would work well with the vanilla and smoke notes of the bourbon. Hazelnuts have a slightly sweet, warm flavor which plays up the nuttiness of the brown butter, and make a great match to the sweet and fruity flavor of the pears. If you would prefer to use a different fruit, chopped tart apples would offer a bit of tartness to contrast the sweetness of the cake. You could even use dried sweet cherries. Just plump them in a bit of hot water and then drain before adding to the recipe.

If you want to stay away from alcohol completely in this recipe, you can mimic the flavors of bourbon by combining maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, and a touch of almond extract. In the cake batter, substitute the ¼ cup bourbon with 2 tablespoons maple syrup, 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar, and ½ teaspoon almond extract. In the glaze, cut that amount down to 1 tablespoon of the syrup, 1 teaspoon vinegar, and ¼ teaspoon almond extract.

Once you start cooking and baking with brown butter, it is hard to go back. The rich, nutty flavor has a warmth that enhances so many different preparations. The good news is that brown butter is quite simple to make. The bad news is that it can go awry in a matter of seconds if you don't keep an eye on it. Brown butter is made by heating basic unsalted butter until it becomes foamy, dark flecks of color start to form, and you notice a nutty aroma. The browned bits develop when the milk solids in the butter start to caramelize under the heat. These will fall to the bottom of the pan and can either be included in your recipe (as they contain a lot of flavor) or strained out if desired. The key to making brown butter is to keep stirring and have a watchful eye. As soon as you notice a nutty aroma and a deep golden brown color, transfer the butter to a heat-proof container to cool and be ready for your recipe.

Brown butter is not only delicious in this loaf cake recipe, but makes a wonderful addition to cookies, mashed potatoes, pancakes, and pasta dishes (think pumpkin tortelloni with sage). Brown butter can be used in just about any preparation that might call for butter if you want to add a rich and nutty depth. 

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