Brown Butter Cupcakes
These delicious brown butter cupcakes use brown butter to make both the cupcake batter and the frosting! This gives them a nutty, toasted flavor that is so incredible.
Servings: 16
Calories: 411kcal
Equipment
Ingredients
Brown Butter
- 2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature and cut into 1-inch pieces 454g or 1 lb.
Brown Butter Cupcakes
- 3/4 cup brown butter, melted - made above 170g
- 1/2 cup full-fat sour cream, room temperature 125g
- 1/2 cup water, room temperature 120g
- 1/3 cup carton egg whites or 3 large egg whites, room temperature 90g
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 15g
- 1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour 205g
- 1 cup granulated sugar 200g
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 6g
- 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
- 1/4 tsp baking soda 2g
Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting
- 1 cup brown butter, room temperature - made above 226g
- 1 Tbsp vanilla extract or vanilla bean paste 12g
- 1/2 tsp fine salt 3g
- 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar 454g or 1 lb. box
- 1/4 cup heavy whipping cream, room temperature 60g
Instructions
Make the Brown Butter
- The first step is to brown the butter! This can be done weeks in advance. We use it in both the cupcake batter and the frosting. In total, you need to melt down 2 cups or 4 sticks of butter. We need 3/4 cup for the cupcake batter and 1 cup for the frosting, and the volume will be reduced a bit once the butter is browned and some of the water from the butter has evaporated.
- Add 2 cups of unsalted butter that's been cut into Tablespoon-sized pieces (helps it melt down more evenly and quickly) into a large skillet.
- Heat over medium heat, stirring occasionally. Once the butter has fully melted, stir constantly with a rubber spatula to prevent the butter solids at the bottom of the pan from sticking and burning. It should begin to bubble up a bit and look foamy on top. Let the butter continue to cook until it becomes an amber color and begins to smell nutty.
- Once it reaches this stage, remove from heat, and pour into a heatproof, wide bowl (the wider it is, the faster the butter will cool). Set aside.
- If you make the brown butter in advance, store it in an airtight container or cover it in plastic wrap and place it in the fridge. When it's time to make the cupcake batter, scoop 3/4 cup of brown butter into a separate container and heat it in the microwave for 15 seconds, so that it's just melted and in a liquid state. Be careful that the butter doesn't get too hot, or else it can scramble the egg whites when the batter is being made. Let the brown butter for the frosting come to room temperature by removing it from the fridge and letting it sit out for about an hour.
Brown Butter Cupcake Batter
- Next, we work on the cupcake batter! Preheat your oven to 350°F/175°C and line 2 muffin pans with a total of 16 cupcake liners (I usually do 8 liners per pan). If you only have one muffin pan, the remaining batter can sit at room temperature for a few hours, until the first tray is baked, and you can reuse the pan. Set aside.
- Add 3/4 cup melted brown butter, 1/2 cup sour cream, 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup egg whites or 3 large egg whites, and 1 Tbsp vanilla extract into a large bowl. Whisk together until combined and smooth.
- Sift 1 and 2/3 cup all purpose flour, 1 cup granulated sugar, 1 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp fine salt, and 1/4 tsp baking soda into the wet ingredients. If you don't have a sifter, add the dry ingredients into a large bowl and whisk them together before adding them into the wet ingredients.
- Whisk the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until combined. Scoop the batter into the lined baking pans, filling each cupcake liner about 2/3 full.
- Bake for 18-20 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cupcakes comes out with a few moist crumbs. Rotate the pan halfway through to help the cupcakes bake more evenly.
- Remove from the oven and let the cupcakes cool in the pan for about 10 minutes. Then place the cupcakes on a wire rack to finish cooling. If you're in a rush, place the entire pan in the freezer for 30 minutes to speed up the cooling process.
Brown Butter Buttercream Frosting
- While the cupcakes bake and cool, make the buttercream. Place 1 cup of room temperature brown butter in a large bowl or in the bowl of a stand mixer. Mix on a medium speed for 30 seconds with a paddle attachment or hand mixer until smooth.
- Add in 1 Tbsp vanilla extract and 1/2 tsp salt and mix on a low speed until combined.
- Slowly mix in 3 1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1/4 cup heavy cream on a low speed.
- Beat on low until the ingredients are fully incorporated and the desired consistency is reached. Place the buttercream in a large piping bag fitted with an open star tip.
- Pipe large swirls of buttercream onto the cooled cupcakes, then enjoy!
Notes
This recipe makes 16 standard-sized cupcakes. It can be doubled or halved as needed.
This recipe can also be used to make mini brown butter cupcakes! It makes about 50 mini cupcakes, which only need to bake for 11-13 minutes.
If you want to make a brown butter cake, I recommend using my browned butter layer cake recipe.
Making This Brown Butter Cupcake Recipe in Advance
Frosted cupcakes can sit out at room temperature for a day. If you frost these cupcakes further in advance, I recommend storing them in the fridge in an airtight container. Frosted cupcakes can be refrigerated for up to 5 days. If stored unfrosted in an airtight container, they can last for:- A day at room temperature
- Up to 5 days in the fridge
- Up to a month in the freezer
Nutrition
Serving: 1 | Calories: 411kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 3g | Fat: 24g | Saturated Fat: 15g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 64mg | Sodium: 349mg | Sugar: 37g