Brown Butter Cupcakes with Sweet Molasses Buttercream Icing
Brown Butter Cupcakes with Sweet Molasses Buttercream Icing. This here is cake made with brown butter and icing that has a slight molasses taste to it. I say slight molasses because it tastes more like brown sugar or caramel to me. These cupcakes are full of flavor and will take us straight from summer into the fall season. And I don’t know about you, but I’m ready for some fall!
Growing up when my mom made cupcakes, it was always from a box mix. Actually I’m pretty sure all of our birthday cakes were from a box. The only time my mom would make a cake from scratch was if it were a coffee cake or a similar “specialized” cake, like cheesecake. Duncan Hines was present for all birthday celebrations. It was just easy. And cheap. And having six kids to feed, those two reasons alone were all the reasons needed. I didn’t know any better and thought my mom made the best cakes ever. 🙂 It wasn’t until I grew up and started baking on my own, that I used recipes to make my own from-scratch cakes. Don’t be fooled though–I still use Duncan for pretty much all my boys’ birthday cakes. Because, again…easy and cheap. 😉
But there’s just something about making a cake from scratch. And these cupcakes are no exception–especially with the addition of brown butter in the batter. Brown butter is AWESOME. It adds a depth of flavor that really pairs beautifully with the sweet molasses buttercream in this recipe. Those two really complement each other perfectly.
The cupcake is more dense than a box mix. Now that I’ve tried cakes from scratch, I’ve really noticed how light the cakes from box mixes are. So if you want something to really bite into, this cake is a winner. You won’t be disappointed!
So give this recipe a try if you’re looking for something different that has a great flavor combination. The depth of flavor is sure to win you over…trust me!
- 12 Tbsp butter, browned
- 1 1/2 cups Golden Barrel organic cane sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup milk
- 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 12 Tbsp butter, softened
- 1 Tbsp Golden Barrel Supreme Baking Molasses
- 2-4 cups Golden Barrel confectioners' sugar, sifted (I used 4 cups)
- 2 Tbsp half and half (or milk)
- Make brown butter: melt butter in saucepan over medium heat until frothy and brown specks appear (several minutes). Remove from heat and let cool.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line muffin pan with cupcake liners. Set aside.
- In medium-sized bowl, mix together dry ingredients: flour, baking powder, and salt, stirring to combine. Set aside.
- In a bowl attached to a stand mixer, beat cooled brown butter and sugar until combined (about 2 minutes), scrapping bowl as needed. Add eggs and vanilla and beat until light and fluffy, another 2-3 minutes.
- With mixer on low (or by hand), gently mix in dry ingredients and milk alternately, starting and ending with dry ingredients until just combined.
- Using large cookie scoop, scoop out dough into prepared pan and bake for 13-15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out with only a few moist crumbs. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes then transfer onto wire rack to cool completely.
- In bowl attached to a stand mixer, beat butter until smooth. Add molasses and beat until incorporated. Slowly add confectioners' sugar and half and half and beat until light and fluffy, several minutes. Taste icing as needed to determine if more or less sugar is needed.
Recipe adapted from Rachel Sally.
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