Brown butter vanilla bean cake with chestnut cream filling

Have you noticed the deluge of cookbooks published recently?  Maybe the timing has to do with the upcoming holiday season but I just don't remember noticing such a swell of cookbooks being published around the same time before.  I'm talking cookbooks from...The Kitchn, Skinnytaste, Joy the Baker, How Sweet Eats, the guys from Baked, as well as new editions from Ina Garten, Martha Stewart, Yotam Ottolenghi...and a lot more!  I'm excited about it all because it means more inspiration, more deliciousness to see and discover.

One of the baking books I was really impressed with is Dorie Greenspan's latest, Baking Chez Moi.  It shouldn't have come as a surprise since I think Dorie's books are always so substantial - as in, there's just so much substance to them.  Her recipes are so detailed, but not complicated.  She provides tips and suggestions to guide you towards being as successful as possible in the kitchen.

I saw many recipes I'd like to make in the book.  I started right at the beginning, with a very simple (but smart) "weekend" cake.  It's the kind of simple yet delicious dessert the French bake at home.  It's easily prepared, with staying power to sit around for a few days to be enjoyed at any time when the mood is right.  I love this kind of cake.  Break out the bowls and whisks!  It feels comforting both to prepare as well as to eat.

The texture of this cake is firm and sturdy but moist.  It has a chewiness to it; my son thought I'd used almond paste because of the nutty, chewy, moistness of it that resembles certain almond paste bakes.  As for flavor, it's rich and full of the deliciousness of brown butter, something I'm in awe of every time I stand by the stove swirling my little pan making a batch for one of my favorite recipes, financiers (coincidentally, another recipe I picked up from one of Dorie's books).  It's called beurre noisette, or hazelnut butter, for a good reason.  Cooking the butter, letting it sizzle and brown, somehow releases an aroma and flavor like caramelized hazelnuts.  It's kind of magical, and delicious in combination with the flavor of fresh vanilla (and a touch of amaretto) in this cake.

This cake is meant to be easy, transportable, low-maintenance.  By all means, make it as intended...or...give it a little twist like I did it.  The original recipe was meant for a standard-size loaf pan.  I divided the recipe in half and made a smaller 6-inch round version that's perfect for my family to enjoy over a weekend.  And because this cake reminded me so much of those delectable financiers (it looks and taste quite similar), I decided to split my cake into two layers and add a slather of chestnut cream in between.  

You can certainly leave the cake plain, without any filling, but I love chestnut cream (and chestnuts, in general) and almost every time I make financiers, I tuck a small spoonful of it into the ones for my husband and I.  I think the flavor of the chestnut cream complements the brown butter - there's a certain similarity in the nuttiness of their flavors.

I had every intention of making this an actual weekend cake but I have to admit this little cake vanished before the weekend appeared for us...


This is the kind of cake batter I love to make.  It's my kind of hands-on baking therapy that involves plenty of whisking and stirring.

Stirring brown butter into the batter

A lot of the magic is in the brown butter.  It gets stirred into the cake batter at the very end.  The specks of deep golden brown blends so well with vanilla beans, both in appearance as well as flavor.  I used half a vanilla pod for my 6-inch cake.  I actually tossed in an extra half teaspoon of vanilla extract for good measure but you don't have to do that.  I was feeling remorse for not using vanilla sugar in this recipe.  I keep a jar of it in my pantry but I have to tell you...I almost always forget to use it until after the fact, as was the case here!

The brown butter contributes a lot of richness, as does a touch of cream (less than 3 tablespoons in my half-recipe).  I happened to have some cream in the fridge to use up so it was very convenient.  I also have amaretto and added a spoonful (the impact isn't all that noticeable...the flavors meld together).  You could also use dark rum but leave out the alcohol altogether if you prefer.  This cake is a good make-ahead option. Dorie recommends wrapping the cake up and giving it an overnight rest so that the flavors have a chance to deepen even more.  

Chestnut cream

As you know, I sliced my cake in half and added chestnut cream (often labeled "creme de marrons") between the two layers.  In my mind, I thought maybe I was defeating the purpose of this type of simple French weekend cake by doing that.  In the end, I wanted to try it because the flavors go so well together in my opinion.  Moreover, it doesn't require much more effort than a quick slice and spread of some jarred chestnut cream.

Admittedly, chestnut cream isn't easy to find here in the U.S. but you can order it online.  I just ordered myself a jar recently since my stash from Paris (where it is as common and as readily available as peanut butter or Nutella is here) has sadly been depleted. Maybe one day it'll catch on here in the States one day...you never know.

I think the sweet, nutty flavor of the chestnut cream goes really well with this buttery, nutty cake.  That said, the cake itself, without the chestnut cream filling, is certainly moist and flavorful enough all on its own.  

[On the topic of chestnuts, have you heard about Starbuck's upcoming Chestnut Praline Latte?  I am very curious and will definitely be giving that a try!]

I hope you're having a wonderful weekend...all the better if there's some cake involved!


Recipe:

Brown Butter Vanilla Bean Cake with Chestnut Cream Filling
Adapted* from Dorie Greenspan's Baking Chez Moi

* I divided the original recipe in half and baked it into a 6-inch round cake.  I also split the cake into two layers and added a layer of chestnut cream.  You can double the recipe (to the original) and bake the cake in a greased 9x5 inch loaf pan for 55-65 minutes, or until a tester comes out clean.  The cake is quite flavorful on its own, without a filling.

- Makes one 6-inch round cake - 

4 tablespoons (half a stick) unsalted butter
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons (119 grams) all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons (125 grams) sugar 
1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise and scraped (or substitute with 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract)
2 large eggs, at room temperature
2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons (40 ml) heavy cream
1 tablespoon amaretto or dark rum (optional; I used amaretto)
3 ounces chestnut cream (such as this one), stirred

Set a rack in the center of the oven and preheat it to 350 degrees.  Stack 2 baking sheets one on top of another and line the top one with parchment paper or a silicon baking mat (alternatively, line an insulated baking sheet if you have one).  Spray a 6-inch round cake pan with baking spray, or grease and flour it.  Set pan on the baking sheets.

Brown the butter.  Place butter into a small saucepan and bring it to a boil over medium heat.  Swirl the pan occasionally.  The butter will bubble and sizzle.  Continue until it turns a deep honey brown and you can smell an aroma of caramelized hazelnuts.  Keep a close eye on the process since the butter can go from dark brown to black (burnt) very quickly.  

Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl.

Put sugar into a large bowl.  Add the vanilla bean pulp and rub the two together until the sugar is moist and fragrant.  Whisk eggs into the sugar, beating for about 1 minute or until thoroughly incorporated.  Whisk in the heavy cream, (if using vanilla extract instead of vanilla bean pulp, whisk it in now), followed by the amaretto or rum, if using.  Use a large rubber spatula and gradually stir in the dry ingredients until a thick, smooth batter forms.  Fold in the brown butter  (including the dark brown specks) in 2 or 3 additions.  Scrape batter into the prepared pan, smoothing the top.

Bake cake until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 35-40 minutes.  Check the cake about 25-30 minutes into baking to see if it's browning too quickly.  If so, cover it loosely with a foil tent.  Remove cake from oven when ready, let it cool 5 minutes on a wire rack before removing.  Turn the cake out of the pan and let cool completely right side up.  If possible, wrap the cooled cake in plastic or foil overnight to allow the flavors to deepen before serving.  

To fill the cake, split it in half horizontally with a serrated knife.  Spread the chestnut cream evenly on to the bottom layer and place the top layer on top of it.