Apple-Almond Browned Butter Cake

Prep

90 minutes

Cook

1 hour 15 minutes

Servings

8 to 10

Level

Medium

Ingredients

Apple-Almond Browned Butter Cake

  • 1 ½ cups (¾ pound) Challenge European Style Butter
  • 1 ¾ cups slivered almonds
  • 3 cups powdered sugar
  • about 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 8 (1⅛ cups) large egg whites
  • 1 Tablespoon grated lemon peel
  • 1 Tablespoon grated orange peel
  • 1 ¾ cups finely chopped peeled Golden Delicious apples
  • warm caramel sauce (recipe follows)
  • vanilla Ice Cream

Warm Caramel Sauce

  • 3 Tablespoons Challenge European Style Butter
  • ⅔ cup sugar
  • ⅔ cup whipping cream

Directions

Apple-Almond Browned Butter Cake

  • 1

    In a 12-inch frying pan or 5-to 6-quart pan over high heat, melt 1½ cups butter. Stir often until the milk-solid particles turn golden brown, 5-7 minutes. Remove at once from heat; let stand until warm, 15 to 20 minutes (or nest pan in cold water and stir often, 5 to 8 minutes.)

  • 2

    Meanwhile, in a food processor, whirl ¾ cup slivered almonds to a fine powder (or finely grate with a nut grater); scrape into a large bowl. Spread remaining 1 cup slivered almonds in a 10 by 15-inch pan.

  • 3

    Bake in a 350°F oven until almonds are golden brown, 6 to 12 minutes. Let cool slightly, then coarsely chop.

  • 4

    To the bowl containing ground almonds, add toasted almonds, sugar, and 1¼ cups flour. Stir to mix well.

  • 5

    Scrape melted butter with all browned particles into bowl; mix. Add egg whites, lemon peel, and orange peel. Beat with a mixer on medium speed, scraping bowl often, until batter is well blended. Add chopped apples and stir to mix.

  • 6

    Butter and flour a 9-inch cheesecake pan with removable rim. Scrape batter into pan.

  • 7

    Bake in a 325°F oven until cake is golden brown, firm in the center when lightly pressed, and begins to pull from pan sides, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.

  • 8

    Let cake stand in pan on a rack at least 20 minutes or until cool, about 1 hour. Slide a thin-bladed knife between warm or cool cake and pan rim; remove rim. Set cake on a rimmed plate and, if desired, pour about ½ cup warm caramel sauce over the top. Cut into wedges; serve with scoops of ice cream and remaining caramel sauce to add to taste.

Warm Caramel Sauce

  • 9

    In a 3- to 4-quart pan over high heat, stir 3 Tablespoons salted Challenge European Style Butter and 2/3 cup sugar until mixture is caramel-colored, 2 to 4 minutes.

  • 10

    Remove from heat and add 2/3 cup whipping cream; stir until blended (mixture foams).

  • 11

    Return to high heat; stir until caramel sauce comes to a rolling boil, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve hot.

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