Brown Butter Apple Cake

The recipe

For the salted caramel

• 300 g sugar
• 100 g butter, room temperature
• 100 g heavy cream
• 1 tbsp sea salt

For the apple layer

• 3-4 Honeycrisp apples, cored and cut into sixteenths

For the cake

• 110 g sugar
• 110 g dark brown sugar
• 113 g grapeseed oil
• 113 g brown butter, cooled to room temperature
• 2 eggs
• 113 g buttermilk
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 240 g flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp baking powder

Method

1. Make the salted caramel: heat the sugar in a pot over medium heat, stirring carefully until it melts into a caramel.
2. Whisk in the room temperature butter and stir constantly until fully incorporated — keep stirring continuously so the caramel doesn't split.
3. Reduce heat to low and add the heavy cream in 3 parts, stirring in each addition before adding the next.
4. Once incorporated, stir in the sea salt.
5. Line an 8-inch pan with parchment. Pour a thin layer of the hot caramel into the base of the pan.
6. Fan the apple slices in overlapping concentric rings over the caramel.
7. Pour the remaining salted caramel over the apples. Set aside.
8. For the cake: in the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the brown butter, grapeseed oil, sugar, and dark brown sugar until combined.
9. Add the eggs one at a time, then the vanilla, mixing until incorporated.
10. Add the flour, salt, baking soda, and baking powder. Mix until just combined.
11. Add the buttermilk and mix until smooth.
12. Pour the batter over the apples and caramel and smooth the top with an offset spatula or spoon.
13. Bake at 350°F for 50 minutes.
14. Let the cake cool in the pan, then turn out onto a plate while the caramel is still warm, remove the parchment, and serve.