browned butter vanilla yogurt cake

in my previous posts i mentioned how i had baked all these cakes for my uncle's funeral service. well, i came upon this lemon rosemary cake on pinterest and actually made that recipe. anyway, the cake turned out delicious (and unfortunately i don't have any pictures to show for here). m was actually quite a fan of the cake (he's always such a tough critic with my baked goods). because of his rave review i decided i would make it again. except for this time when i went to make it, i didn't have my butter ready at room temperature like the first time and the microwave wasn't cooperating when i went to use it (to soften the butter) so i ended up having to brown my butter – therefore leading to this new cake recipe i came up with, adapted from the lemon rosemary cake of course!

this browned butter vanilla yogurt cake is just right. i haven't cared too much for frosted cakes lately so yogurt cakes, cake loaves, cakes with simple powdered sugar dusting or glaze icing was right up my alley. plus, it doesn't hurt that i still have all those ingredients in the fridge. so yes, i know… even after that 12-hour marathon baking expedition, i went ahead and baked this cake a few days after. i have to say, this yogurt cake is delicious. it's nice and simple with nothing too extravagant, but elegant enough that you know you're eating something good. the browned butter really enhances the vanilla flavor. and the yogurt in the cake really keeps it nice and moist. of course, not to mention the added lemon glaze on top that gives it that nice sweet and sour kick. oh, it's good!

below's the recipe should you want to make one yourself. i did mine in a 9-inch cake pan, but of course, you can use whatever pan you like. enjoy and happy baking! :)


this browned butter vanilla yogurt cake is really the perfect treat. i love it with a nice cup of coffee -- when i do drink coffee (because i don't drink tea) in the morning or afternoon as a mini sweet treat. ;)

browned butter vanilla yogurt cake
recipe adapted from baked bree

ingredients:

• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt (i used plain because that was all i had)
• 3 eggs
• 1-1/2 cups flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

lemon glaze:

• 1 cup powdered sugar
• 3 to 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice

directions:

1. preheat oven to 350° F.
2. in a small saucepan, melt the butter on medium heat until it turns into a nice, sweet and delicious golden brown. note: you'll know when you've got browned butter when your whole kitchen starts to smell or smells like a nice toffee butterscotch candy. otherwise, i say anywhere from 3-5 minutes is pretty good. then pour it in a medium bowl and let it cool for a few minutes.
3. while the butter is cooling, sift the flour, baking powder and salt. set aside.
4. now, add the vanilla to the bowl with the butter. mix to blend. then add yogurt, and add eggs one at a time. again, mix all the ingredients until blended.
5. add in the dry ingredients and mix for an additional minute, scrapping the bowl, until everything is smooth and combined.
6. pour batter into an 9-in cake pan (or you can use a loaf pan) that has been sprayed with cooking spray (i used olive oil instead).
7. bake for 45 to 50 minutes. cool in pan for 10 minutes. take the cake out of the pan, and cool completely on a rack.
8. to make the lemon glaze: whisk powdered sugar and lemon juice together. then add more sugar and lemon juice as needed. drizzle over cake. let glaze stand until completely set.
9. serve right away once the glaze has set. enjoy! :)

makes 8-12 servings depending on how you slice it. this yogurt cake is best enjoy within the same day it's made. otherwise, it can keep up to two days if nicely wrapped.

browned butter coconut macarons

last friday was one of my coworkers' last day. she's moving back to nyc to be closer with her family. as a parting gift, i decided to make her some french macarons. when making the browned butter buttercream, we had some leftover coconut milk from m's first go at chicken biryani that we had for dinner so i decided instead of milk or cream, i would add in a little coconut milk. once the buttercream was completed, i could taste the hint of coconut in it. so i guess you can say that's how i got about to the name of this french macaron. i absolutely love coconut and have recently taken a liking to browned butter, so i think i'll be making this again whenever there's coconut milk leftover available.

so, how good is it? one word. scrumptious. below's the recipe should you want to try it. and if you do make some and do feel free to let me know what you think. as always, happy baking and eating!


browned butter buttercream or anything has become a new favorite in my baking. i love how yummy it smells and tastes. the coconut and browned butter combo is perfect for this macaron! delish.

browned butter coconut french macarons

ingredients:

macaron batter:
1 cup powdered sugar
3/4 cup almond meal
2 large egg whites, at room temperature
5 tablespoons granulated sugar

browned butter coconut buttercream filling:
4 tablespoons butter
2-1/2 to 3 cups powdered sugar
2 tablespoons coconut milk
cream or milk, if needed

directions:

to make the macaron batter/shells:

1. line two baking sheets with parchment paper and have a pastry bag with a plain tip (about 1/2-inch, 2 cm) ready.
2. sift together the powdered sugar and almond meal so there are no lumps. set aside.
3. in the bowl of a standing electric mixer (or if you prefer, you can use a bowl and hand mixer), beat the egg whites until they begin to rise and hold their shape. while whipping, beat in the sugar until very stiff and firm, about 2 minutes.
4. carefully fold the dry ingredients, in two batches, into the beaten egg whites with a flexible rubber spatula. when the mixture is just smooth and there are no streaks of egg white, stop folding and scrape the batter into the pastry bag (standing the bag in a tall glass helps if you’re alone).
5. pipe the batter on the parchment-lined baking sheets in 1.35-inch circles evenly spaced one-inch apart.
6. rap the baking sheet a few times firmly on the counter top to flatten the macarons. then let it sit for at least 30-60 minutes depending on humidity before baking them in the oven. about 10-15 minutes before baking, preheat oven to 350 degrees F. bake for 15 minutes.
7. once macaron shells are out of the oven, let them sit for 30-60 seconds before removing the hot baking sheet underneath. let the macarons cool completely before removing them from the parchment paper.

for browned butter coconut buttercream filling:

1. brown the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. i say let the butter melt and hang out until it gets to that nice golden color and your kitchen smells delicious.
2. turn off the stove and pour the brown butter into a medium size bowl. add in the powdered sugar and the coconut milk and mix the ingredients together on low speed until they're incorporated. then turn the speed to medium and mix for 2-3 more minutes until everything is blended and you've reached the right consistency for buttercream. add in a little milk or cream if the buttercream is too thick or more powdered sugar if it's too thin. once everything looks good it should be ready to use.

to assemble the macaron cookies:

1. before assembling these cookies, make sure to pair up all the cookie shells so they are as close as possible in size.
2. using a knife, spread a good amount of the brown butter coconut buttercream on the inside of the macarons then sandwich them together.
3. let them stand at least one day (keep them refrigerated) before serving (serve at room temperature), to meld the flavors.

store in airtight container for up to 5 days. makes 20-24 macarons. happy eating because these are really, really, good! :)