the height of deliciousness

Apple cake with brown butter frosting. For the record, this is the tallest one-layer cake I've ever made.

It's pretty magical too--as tall as it is, the edges didn't get dried out or dark before the center cooked, which I still can't quite wrap my head around.

I love an apple cake, and while this one was undeniably good, the aspect of it that has been permanently ingrained in my memory is the DELICIOUS frosting. While I've used brown butter before in various dishes, I hadn't added it to frosting until now. Why, oh why, haven't I been adding it to EVERYTHING? Sorry to be yelling at you, but this was some seriously scrumptious stuff. It doesn't take that much effort to brown butter, and as a bonus, it makes the house smell amazing for a few hours!

Swoon.

I encourage you to try this combination of cake and frosting as soon as you can. The cake is moist (and stays moist!) and full of warm, fragrant spices and toothsome apples, and the gift from God in the form of frosting is buttery and nutty and will make you sigh deep sighs. Make it in a 9-inch square pan unless you too love a freakishly tall cake, in which case use an 8-inch square pan like I did.

BROWN BUTTER FROSTING on Apple Cake
(printable recipe)
Serves 12
Ingredients:
Apples:

• 2 cups apples (about 2 medium), unpeeled and coarsely chopped
• 2 tablespoons brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1 tablespoon all-purpose flour



This fork is no match for my cake.

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon cardamom

Cake:

• 3 eggs
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 1 cup Greek yogurt
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon cardamom
• 1/4 cup milk

Frosting:

• 8 tablespoons (4 ounces) butter
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 4 tablespoon milk, plus more as needed
• 1/4 teaspoon coffee extract

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8x8-inch pan (or 9x9-inch, if you prefer a cake of normal height).
In a medium bowl, combine the apples, brown sugar, flour, lemon juice, cinnamon, and cardamom and stir to coat.
In a large bowl, whisk the eggs and sugar until light and fluffy, 2-3 minutes.
Add in the Greek yogurt, oil, and vanilla extract.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, and cardamom.
Add the flour mixture and milk alternately to the sugar mixture, ending with the flour.
Fold the apple mixture into the batter in as few strokes as possible, then pour the batter into the prepared pan.
Gently tap the pan on the counter several times to settle the apples.
Bake for 60-70 minutes for an 8x8-inch pan (35-40 minutes for 9x9) or until a toothpick pressed into the center of the cake comes out clean.
Let cool completely before frosting.
While the cake cools, prepare the frosting: Place the butter in a medium saucepan and melt over medium low heat.
Once melted, raise the heat to medium high.
Stay close and swirl occasionally, until the butter starts to foam and smell nutty. Once this happens, take it off the heat and pour into a heat-safe bowl to cool a bit.
With a hand mixer or stand mixer, beat the cooled brown butter and powdered sugar together until fully blended.
Add in the milk until thinned to the desired consistency, then add the extract and mix until smooth.
Spread over the top of the cake and enjoy!