Larder Love

The best preserving recipes plus easy cooking and baking too

  • ALL RECIPES
    • PRESERVES & LARDER
    • COOKING & BAKING
    • COLLECTIONS & CUISINES
  • TIPS & TRICKS
    • HOME HINTS
  • MY COOKBOOKS
  • ABOUT
    • CONTACT ME
    • PRIVACY
Home » Home Baking » Beurre Noisette/Brown Butter Apple Cake

Beurre Noisette/Brown Butter Apple Cake

Author: Karon Grieve Published : September 2020

Recipe
brown butter apple cake
buerre noisette apple cake

This beurre noisette/brown butter apple cake is the true taste of autmn/fall for me. It’s rich and moist with the crunch of pistachios and hazelnuts and the juiciness of apples too.

buerre noisette/brown butter apple cake on wooden cake base

Some cakes come about from lots of planning and tweaking, This super tasty apple cake came about completely by accident.

Idgy was home for the weekend and I wanted to bake a cake for her. Actually a chocolate cake. Suffice to say I managed to completely cock-up two different chocolate cakes.

One I was trying to be too clever with the ingredients and it just wouldn’t rise. The other I tried out a silicone mold and the damn thing was welded in like glue.

The cake tasted great when I spooned it out of the fancy mold but it looked like chocolate pudding.

slice of cake

Inspiration for this apple cake

So As I looked around the kitchen at the total chaos I had created with my two aborted chocolate cakes I spoptted an apple.

Idgy had left an apple sitting on the kitchen table. That was it. I’d use the apple, her apple she’d brought home and make it into a cake.

Well, I was clean out of chocolate now so I had to do something!

baked cake bases

Beurre Noisette/Brown Butter

What the heck is this I can hear you asking. Well it’s quite simple really. Beurre Noisette (doesn’t the French name sound so much better than ‘brown butter’. Beurre noisette translates as ‘nut butter’.

It gets this name because when you heat up the butter it turns brown and takes on a nutty flavour.

side view of apple cake

Ingredients

Apple *  butter  * self raising flour  *  ground cinnamon *  ground cardamom *  salt  * Greek yogurt *  milk *  vanilla extract  *  sugar  * eggs

For the frosting/filling and topping

butter *  cream cheese * icing sugar * hazelnuts * pistachios

jam and frosting on cake base

How to make beurre noisette apple cake

First make that all important beurre noisette/brown butter. All you need to do is melt the butter in a small pan and let it simmer  for about 5 minutes.

It’ll foam and go golden brown in colour. Then you get that gorgeous nutty aroma.

Remove it from the heat and pour into a small bowl. skim off the foam and leave to cool.

Sieve together the dry ingredients.

Mix together the milk, yogurt and vanilla extract.

Beat together the remaining butter with sugar until it’s light and fluffy.

Add the eggs one at a time to the butter mix and half the dry ingredients and half the milk mix. Then add the rest.

cut slice of cake

The apple bit

Peel the apple saving the peel for later. Finely chop the apple into tiny pieces about 2mm square.

Add the apple to the cake batter and fold it through. Now divide tha batter into two 15cm/6″ baking tins and bake for approximately 35 minutes till golden and risen.

topping the cake with nuts and apple peel

The frosting

I’m using a basic cream cheese butter frosting for my apple cake and adding in some maple syrup for that autumnal flavour that kind of all ties in with the apple and nuts.

side view of cake

Jam

You can’t have to put a layer of jam into your apple cake but I wanted to really make this apple cake sing of autumn and so used my plum and apple jam that I made last week.

Plum and apple Jam

top down showing cut slice of cake

Topping the cake

This buerre noisette/brown butter apple cake is low on the frosting. I have used the frosting inside the cake along with the jam and on the top. The sides have been barely skimmed with the remaining frosting.

Now the topping for this cake is all about autumn. It kind of looks like a mini pile of fallen leaves. I’ve used some crushed hazelnuts and pistachio nuts and toasted them in a dry pan then added sugar to make them into candied nuts.

cake with cut out slice

Candied Apple

The same technique has been used on the apple peel. I used all the peel and snipped it into small pieces about 1mm wide and 1cm long. tossed them into a dry pan and let the heat toast them just a bit. Now throw on some sugar and watch as it melts and clings to the apple peel.

Let the candied apple peel dry out on a piece of baking parchment along with the candied nuts.

Scatter them on top of the apple cake and finish off with the merest whisper of icing sugar like a gentle fall of the lightest snow n an Autumn afternoon just as winter is about to come calling.

to down shot of finished cake

How many will this cake serve

You will get either 6 large slices or 8 more modest slices from this cake.

How long does apple cake last

This apple cake will keep for about 3 days under a cake dome. It’s a very moist cake due to the fresh apple so doesn’t dry out quickly.

fork with cake on it

Can you freeze apple cake?

yes you can but before doing all the frosting stuff. Simply wrap the apple cake well in cling film then pop into freezer bags and label. It will keep for up to 3 months in the freezer. Defrost completely and decorate as above.

larder links

Looking for more fun and easy cakes to try? Then check out these recipes before you go;

Rhubarb and ginger cake

Whisky and chocolate marble cake

Coffee and walnut cake with cardamom

Gin and tonic lemon drizzle cake

Finally, if you do try this recipe don’t forget to leave a comment/star rating below as I just love to hear from readers. Want more Larder Love? Then follow me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter and sign up for my newsletter too of course.

Photos And Tips AboveMost of my recipes have step by step photos and useful tips plus videos too, see above.
buerre noisette/brown butter apple cake by larderlove.com

Buerre Noisette/Brown Butter Apple Cake

Karon Grieve
This is a truly autumnal cake full of flavour, rich and moist with a super crunchy topping too.
5 from 1 vote
Print Recipe Comment Bookmark Saved! Pin Recipe
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 35 mins
Total Time 50 mins
Course baking
Cuisine British
Servings 8 slices
Calories 567 kcal

Ingredients
 

  • 150 g unsalted butter
  • 150 g self raising flour
  • 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp ground cardamom
  • 1 pinch salt
  • 60 ml milk
  • 60 ml plain yogurt
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • 2 large freerange eggs
  • 125 g caster (super fine) sugar
  • 1 apple peeled, cored and diced into 2mm pieces – save the peel

Frosting and topping

  • 70 g cream cheese
  • 70 g unsalted butter
  • 250 g icing sugar
  • 1 tsp maple syrup
  • 3 tbsp plum and apple jam optional
  • 2 tbsp hazelnuts crushed
  • 2 tbsp pistachios crushed
  • apple peel
  • 1 tsp icing sugar to dust finished cake
Metric – US Customary

Instructions
 

  • preheat oven to 180C and grease and line 2 x 15cm/6" baking tins
  • Melt 85g of the butter in a small pan and cook on medium heat for approximately 5 minutes till it turns golden and gets a lovely nutty aroma. Remove from heat and pour into a small bowl skimming off the foam and leave to cool
  • Sift together the flour, salt and spices
  • Mix the milk, yogurt and vanilla extract till smoothly combined
  • Beat the remaining butter with the sugar till light and fluffy
  • Add the eggs one at a time and half the dry mixture with half the milk mix, add the buerre noisette/brown butter then beat and add the rest of the mixes. Lastly fold through the diced apple
  • Spoon into 2 baking tins and bake for approximately 35 minutes or until well risen and golden and just coming away from the sides of the tin. A skewer inserted into the centre of the cake should come out clean. If not pop it cack into the oven for a few minutes more
  • let the cakes cool in tins for 5 minutes then cool completely on a wire rack

Frosting

  • Beat together the butter, cream cheese and iceing sugar and the maple syrup

Cake toppers

  • Toast the crushed hazelnuts and pistachios in a dry pan for barely a minute till they are golden and aromatic, Add the sugar and shake pan for sugar to melt and coat the nuts. Tio out on to baking parchment to cool.
  • snip the apple peel into thin slithers about 2mm wide and 1cm long and toast in dry pan for about a minute then add sugar and let it melt and shake to coat the little pieces of apple peel. Tip out on to baking paper to cool

Assembling the cake

  • Spread a layer of frosting on the base of the cake and top this with a layer of jam if using
  • Add the second cake and cover the top with frosting, leave a little frosting just to smear round the sides of the cake
  • Sprinkle the top of the cake with the candied nuts and apple peel and then finish off with a dusting of icing sugar

Notes

the basic cake can be frozen before frosting for up to 3 months.
This is a delightfully moist cake that will keep for a few days in a cake box

Nutrition

Calories: 567kcalCarbohydrates: 72gProtein: 6gFat: 30gSaturated Fat: 17gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 111mgSodium: 62mgPotassium: 148mgFiber: 2gSugar: 54gVitamin A: 905IUVitamin C: 2mgCalcium: 53mgIron: 1mg
My Top Tips*Always read the full recipe first. *Assemble all your ingredients and everything you need before you start. *For baking check the size of tins I’m using as this makes a big difference to your cakes. * I use medium sized eggs unless otherwise stated. * I use extra virgin olive oil unless otherwise stated. * I use unsalted butter unless otherwise stated. * Check out My Preserving Kit!
Keyword apple, cake
Tried this recipe?Mention @LarderLove or tag #LarderLove

Filed Under: ALL RECIPES, Autumn/Fall, Home Baking

« Roasted Mediterranean Vegetables In Olive Oil
My 20 favourite Fabulous Fall/Autumn Recipes »

Comments

  1. Freiberger Claudia says

    October 5, 2020 at 2:23 am

    5 stars
    This is the absolute best apple cake . The taste is heavenly and this cake will be our fall and Christmas season cake for the years to come . Thank you for sharing this recipe,

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      October 5, 2020 at 1:38 pm

      Hi Claudia
      Wow, what a compliment. I’m thrilled you liked this apple cake so much. It’s one that I really love myself.
      K

      Reply
  2. Keira Ball says

    October 9, 2020 at 2:14 pm

    Wow… I know what to make on weekend.

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      October 9, 2020 at 2:25 pm

      Hi Keira
      Hope you make this one, it’s such an amazing cake.
      K

      Reply
  3. Margo D says

    October 26, 2020 at 7:03 pm

    Sorry, but I missed how much maple syrup in the frosting. It doesn’t shoe in the recipe.

    Reply
    • Karon Grieve says

      October 27, 2020 at 8:57 am

      Hi Margo
      Thanks for pointing that out. Just a teaspoon of maple syrup. Have popped that in the recipe card now.
      K

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

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

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Karon Grieve

SEARCH MY SITE

Follow Larder Love

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Trending Now

3 ingredient dried apricot jam
favourite fall recipes by larderlove.com
3 ingredient prosecco scones
homemade garlic oil
vegetarian moussaka
homemade pear liqueur by larderlove

Autumn Recipes

close up of Thai pumpkin curry
close up of slice of carrot and walnut cake
sweet potato wedges
baked garlic salt
elderberry jam
blackberry and apple tart
pasta alla norma

See more summer recipes...

BUY MY BOOKS

Karon Grieve books
my foodgawker gallery

Follow Larder Love

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Privacy Policy & Disclaimers

 

[footer_backtotop]

Copyright Karon Grieve - Larder Love © 2018. All Rights Reserved.

  • 321