Bourbon Brown-Butter Cake

Ingredients

• 11 tablespoons (155 g) unsalted butter, cut into chunks
• 1 cup (120 g) pecans, very coarsely chopped
• ½ teaspoon fine sea salt, plus a pinch for the pecans
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus a pinch for the pecans
• 1¾ cups (238 g) all-purpose flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar
• ¼ cup (50 g) packed brown sugar
• ½ cup (120 ml) heavy cream, at room temperature
• 1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons bourbon

Instructions

1. Center a rack in the oven and preheat to 325°F (165°C). Line a baking sheet with parchment. Coat a 9-inch loaf pan with baking spray, then place a strip of parchment over the bottom and up the two long sides with enough overhang to lift out the cake.
2. Place the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Once melted, continue cooking as it bubbles and foams, swirling occasionally, until it becomes deep golden brown, smells nutty, and has toasted milk solids on the bottom. Remove from the heat.
3. Mound the pecans on the lined baking sheet. Drizzle them with 1 tablespoon of the brown butter, add a pinch each of salt and cinnamon, and toss well. Spread into one layer and toast for 8 to 10 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes. Cool the nuts and raise the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C).
4. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, the remaining ½ teaspoon salt, and the remaining ½ teaspoon cinnamon.
5. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs with the granulated and brown sugars for 2 to 3 minutes, until smooth and thoroughly blended. Slowly pour in the cream while whisking, then whisk in the vanilla and bourbon.
6. Add half of the dry ingredients and fold gently with a flexible spatula until almost incorporated. Add the remaining dry ingredients and fold just until only a few flour streaks remain.
7. Gradually stream in the warm brown butter while folding and scraping the bottom of the bowl frequently. Continue until the butter is completely absorbed and the batter is smooth and satiny. Fold in the cooled toasted pecans.
8. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan and level the surface. Bake for 58 to 63 minutes. Check at 40 minutes and tent loosely with foil or parchment if the top is browning too quickly.
9. The cake is ready when it is tall and dramatically cracked, feels firm on top, pulls slightly from the sides, and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pan for 5 minutes, then lift it out with the parchment and cool right side up on a rack.
10. Let the cake reach room temperature before slicing. Serve plain with coffee or tea, or toast thick slices and pair them with butter-pecan or coffee ice cream and caramel sauce.