Blueberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze

July is National Blueberry Month and to celebrate of course I had to make a cake! I didn't want to make a traditional cake and after seeing this bundt cake in the current issue of Food Network Magazine, I knew it was time for me to cross off bundt cake on my baking bucket list. So I bought a bundt pan (shhh: I felt like a big girl!) and grabbed some fresh blueberries and gave it a try this weekend. 

The process of making a bundt cake is much like making a cake, except you have to be super careful not to over-mix the batter. If you are successful, you get a light and airy cake, which is exactly what this blueberry buttermilk bundt cake is. It is extremely moist and I think the addition of vegetable oil helped with this. I loved the texture of the blueberries in the cake too, they stayed very juicy. I was scared the blueberries might sink to the bottom, but I tossed them in flour before adding them to the batter and they remained floating in the cake as you can see. The cake itself is not too sweet so the lemon glaze is a perfectly sweet way to top it off!

I brought this cake to lab yesterday and it was quickly devoured by my lab mates. When I asked them what they liked about it, two things stood out: moist cake and delicious glaze! And that's exactly how I would sum up this cake. I can't wait to make more bundt cakes and thanks to my lab mates, I already have some special requests for more summer flavored bundt cakes.

For you blueberry lovers, Tracey at Tracey's Culinary Adventures is having a blueberry week (super awesome right??) starting off with this delicious blueberry-lime cream cheese pound cake (another thing on my baking bucket list: pound cake). Check it out!

On another note, I’m taking part in a great bake sale (Muffins for Muffin Online Bake Sale) that is happening tomorrow Wednesday July 17^th at 8am on Kita’s blog Pass the Sushi. Kita is hosting the bake sale to help raise some awareness about animal abuse and also raise funds for a puppy (Muffin) that was found neglected, abused and with terrible chemical burns. Miss Muffin has a long road ahead and this bake sale will help with her medical expenses. I’m donating my brown butter salted caramel chocolate chip cookies to the sale. Please head over there and take a look at all the other amazing treats and on Wednesday bid/donate to help Muffin. Click here for more details.

Recipe:

Blueberry Buttermilk Bundt Cake with Lemon Glaze

Adapted from Food Network Magazine July/August 2013

Ingredients:

3     cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

2½ teaspoons baking powder

1¼ teaspoons salt

1     cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1¾ cups sugar

¼   cup vegetable oil

4    large eggs, room temperature

1    teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¾  cup buttermilk, room temperature

2    cups blueberries (about 1 pint)

For Lemon Glaze

2½ cups confectioners’ sugar

1 tablespoon unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon lemon juice

3 to 4 tablespoons milk

  

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a nonstick 12-cup Bundt pan (mine is 10-inch and worked great). In a medium bowl, whisk together 3 cups of flours, baking powder and salt.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat together the sugar, oil and butter on medium-high speed until fluffy, about 5 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add in the eggs, one at a time and beating until combined. Beat in vanilla extract.

Add in a third of the flour mixture and half of the buttermilk. Mix until just combined. Then add another third of flour and the rest of the buttermilk. Mix again until just combined. Scrape down the side of the bowl as needed. Add the rest of the flour and mix for 30 seconds. Finish incorporating the flour into the batter by hand with a rubber spatula to avoid over mixing.

In a small bowl, toss the blueberries with the remaining two tablespoons of flour. Pour or spoon a third of the batter into the prepared pan, sprinkle half of the blueberries on top of the batter then top with another third of the batter. Scatter the rest of the blueberries on top of the batter and then top with the last third of the batter. Smooth the top.

Bake until cake is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 50 minutes to an hour. Transfer to a cooling rack and allow cake to cool in pan for 30 minutes. Using a small sharp knife, run it around the edge of the pan to loosen the cake and then invert the cake onto a cooling rack (lined with parchment paper) to cool completely.

For the glaze: Whisk together all the ingredients in a small bowl. If the glaze is too thick, whisk in a tablespoon of milk, a little at a time.

Just before serving, pour the glaze over the cake and allowing it to drip down the sides.  Enjoy!

Brown Butter Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies {Brown Butter Week}

These cookies actually started my obsession with brown butter that manifested into brown butter week. I was testing a few recipes for salted caramel cookies for June Bakin Friends when I came across these. The first batch were too chewy for my taste so I didn't end up sending them to my baking friend. But I kept working on the recipe and I changed a few things and then browned the butter and the second batch gave me these wonderful cookies.

I made them twice to be sure and mailed them to my biggest critique and taste tester in Virginia. She is brutally honest and isn't afraid to hurt my feelings as my husband can sometimes be. She loved them so much that she called me three times in one day, each time with specifics about what she liked. 

I like soft cookies and that's exactly what these are. They are very soft and gooey on the inside and so crisp on the exterior. You will love them too! There is nothing not to like here. Seriously! Brown butter and salted caramel were made for each other because the flavors complement each other perfectly. I know you shouldn't pick favorites, but these are my favorite cookies yet!

This is a great recipe and a perfect way to end brown butter week!! We've had peanut butter brownies, some fluffy peach cupcakes and now these soft salted caramel cookies all loaded with wonderful brown butter. Thanks for putting up with me this week as I went on and on about my new found secret ingredient. You are the best! And I hope you will give some of these recipes a try, especially these cookies! 

Have a great weekend :)

Brown Butter Salted Caramel Chocolate Chip Cookies

Yield: About 20 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, browned and cooled to room temperature

1¼ cup packed light brown sugar

¼ cup granulated sugar

1 large egg and 1 egg yolk

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 ½ cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

¼ cup homemade salted caramel sauce (I used this recipe)

Sea salt for sprinkling

Directions:

To brown butter: Cut butter into pieces and melt in a saucepan over medium heat. Start to whisk constantly once the butter begins to foam. When the butter starts turning brown, fragrant and you see brown bits at the bottom of the pan, remove from heat. Transfer to a mixing bowl and allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare two cookie sheets lined with wax or parchment paper.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the cooled butter and sugars on medium speed until well combined, about 3 minutes. Add the egg, egg yolk and vanilla and beat until combined. Add in half of the flour mixture and mix on low speed until just combined. Add the rest of the flour and mix well. Stir in the chocolate chips by hand and stir until combined.

Using a small cookie scoop or tablespoon, scoop one tablespoon of dough, press the center with your thumb and fill with about 1 teaspoon of caramel sauce. Place another scoop of dough on top and press together to seal the caramel sauce inside. Place on cookie sheets.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the edges start to turn golden brown. Cool on baking sheet for about two minutes and sprinkle cookies with sea salt. Transfer to cooling rack.

Adapted from Bakingdom

Brown Butter Peach Cupcakes {Brown Butter Week}

Brown butter week continues with these amazing brown butter peach cupcakes. But before we talk about cupcakes, let me share with you my favorite thing about brown butter. My favorite thing isn't the fact that it takes just 5 minutes or less to brown butter, but the aroma from the browned milk solids. It makes your house smell heavenly and that aroma is transferred to whatever recipe you are using it in. I wonder if Bath & Body Works makes this scent? If not they need to get on it because brown butter just beat their kitchen spice candle on my favorite list. 

On to the cupcakes please! I got these peaches from my trip to the farmers market and intended to use them in a peach cobbler. I even bought these cute little ramekins for the cobblers but I changed my mind when I thought of making brown butter cupcakes. So I made a brown butter peach cupcake and topped it with whipped brown butter buttercream. 

These fluffy cupcakes have a great nutty flavor from the brown butter that complements perfectly the ripe white peaches. You see the speckles in the frosting? That's the brown bits from browning the butter. When you brown your butter, you can choose to include the brown bits from the bottom of the pan in your recipe, which I did and totally encourage because you get a deeper flavor profile. 

Since I know Mr. J isn't a fan of peaches, I took all but two cupcakes to my local soup kitchen (I usually leave 6 for us if it is something he would enjoy). But by the time I came back home that Sunday, those cupcakes were ghosts and never to be found. I'm glad I had my taste earlier. Now he agrees he will eat peaches when paired with brown butter. (Trend alert: He hated broccoli before my existence and one day I paired it with parmesean cheese and he loved it. Now he eats it even without the cheese. I'm learning here)

I have more brown butter goodness this week so please come back! In the meantime, my bloggy friend Molly of Bakelette is celebrating her first blogiversary this week. Stop by and wish her and her lovely blog a happy birthday!

Brown Butter Peach Cupcakes

Yield: About 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

¾ cup butter (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, browned and cooled

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

1 ¼ cups granulated sugar

3 large eggs, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

¾ cup buttermilk, room temperature

½  cup fresh peaches, peeled and finely diced

Directions:

1.     To brown butter: Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Start whisking butter once it begins to foam. Whisk constantly for a few minutes until the butter turns brown, fragrant and little brown bits form at the bottom of the pan. Remove immediately from heat and cool.

2.     Preheat oven to 350^oC. Line muffin pans with cupcake wrappers. Whisk together flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl.

3.     In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and sugar on medium speed until well combined about 3-5 minutes.  

4.     Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down side of bowl as necessary. Mix in vanilla extract.

5.     With mixer on low speed, add flour mixture in 3 batches, alternating with 2 batches of buttermilk and beginning and ending with flour. Beat until just combined.

6.     Fold in peaches by hand with a rubber spatula until combined.

7.     Divide batter among cupcake liners, filling 2/3 to the top.

8.     Bake until golden brown and a cake tester comes out clean. About 20-25 minutes 

9.     Transfer pans to wire racks and let cool in pans for 2 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans and cool completely on wire racks.

Whipped Brown Butter Frosting

½ cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, browned and cooled to room temperature

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature

3 cups sifted powdered confectioners’ sugar

2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons milk

A pinch of salt

1.     To brown butter: Melt butter over medium heat in a saucepan. Start whisking butter once it begins to foam. Whisk constantly for a few minutes until the butter turns brown, fragrant and little brown bits form at the bottom of the pan. Remove immediately from heat and cool completely to room temperature.

2.     Whip softened butter for 4 minutes on medium speed using the paddle attachment of an electric mixer. The butter will become pale and creamy.

3.     Add the rest of the ingredients (including the brown butter) and mix on low speed for 1 minute. Then increase speed to medium and mix for 6 minutes until the frosting is very light, creamy and fluffy.

4.     Best used right away

(Some affiliate links included)

Brown Butter Peanut Butter Paisley Brownies {Brown Butter Week}

Have you ever browned butter? I'm sure the answer is YES for most of you foodies but for the rest of you who have not, then let me tell you, you are missing out on a secret ingredient. I was in the same boat until a few weeks ago when I decided to give it a try while trying a new cookie recipe and I was pleasantly surprised. 

 
So what is brown butter you ask? It is simply cooking butter beyond it's melting point to where the milk solids brown and you cook away most of the water. But you see, browning your butter enriches its flavor and gives it a rich caramelizing nutty flavor that takes any recipe that calls for butter up a notch. And in the past two weeks since my discovery of this secret ingredient, I've tried brown butter in everything from these brownies to pan seared scallops. Obsessed much?? I know, that's why I decided to have a brown butter dedicated week on the blog!! So let's start off with these peanut butter paisley (wanna-be) brownies.

Peanut butter fans, you will love this. It is a double peanut butter chocolate brownie!! I found the recipe on the back of the Reese's peanut butter chips label and I had to try it again with brown butter. Of course, I think it is much better with brown butter because there is an added nutty flavor to the peanut butter and chocolate medley. I think you would love this combination of flavors. The brownies also have soft centers as you bite into the chocolate layer but as usual my favorite part is the crunchy edge :)

Here are a few tutorials on how to brown butter. It is very easy and all you need is 5 minutes. So go brown some butter today! And please come back during the week for more brown butter recipes :)

theKitchn: How to brown butter 
Simply Recipes: How to Brown Butter
How Sweet it Is: Step-by Step pictorial instructions

Brown Butter Peanut Butter Paisley Brownies
Yield: About 20 brownies

Ingredients
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, browned and cooled to room temperature
1/4 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 2/3 cups peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chocolate chips, melted and cooled

Directions:
To brown butter: Cut butter into pieces and melt in a saucepan over medium heat. Start to whisk constantly once the butter starts to foam. When the butter starts turning brown, fragrant and you see brown bits at the bottom of the pan, remove from heat. Transfer to a mixing bowl and allow to cool.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking pan. 

In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, beat the butter and peanut butter until combined. Add the sugars and beat well. Add the eggs, one at a time and beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla.

Add the flour mixture into the peanut butter mixture and mix until well combined. Stir in the peanut butter chips.

Spread half of the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the top with a spatula. Spoon the melted chocolate over the top and spread evenly. Using a cookie scoop, add the rest of the batter on top. Spread the batter evenly with a spatula and then swirl with a metal spatula or knife for marbled effect.

Bake for 30-35 minutes or until the top is lightly browned. Cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Cut into squares and serve.

Adapted from: The back of Reese's Peanut Butter Chips