Browned Butter Sheet Cake | The Recipe Critic

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Browned Butter Sheet Cake is the perfect blend of moist, sweet, and irresistibly nutty. With the rich, caramel-like flavor of browned butter baked into every bite, this cake is a treat for anyone who loves a touch of warmth in their desserts.

Reasons You’ll Love This Recipe

Incredible Flavor: The browned butter adds a nutty, caramelized richness that elevates this cake above your usual vanilla or butter cake. Every bite has a deep, toasty flavor that’s perfect for fall or winter.
Moist and Tender: This cake is perfectly moist, with a soft, tender crumb that stays delicious for days.
Ideal Cake-to-Frosting Ratio: Since it’s a sheet cake, it has a thinner layer of frosting—just enough to add sweetness without overpowering the cake’s flavors.
Perfect for Any Occasion: This cake is versatile—ideal for birthdays, potlucks, holidays, or just because you’re craving something sweet and comforting.

Ingredients Needed

Each ingredient in this Browned Butter Sheet Cake recipe works together to create a balanced, moist, and flavorful dessert that’s as simple as it is satisfying. You can find all of the exact measurements in the recipe card below.

Cake

Unsalted Butter: Browning the butter deepens the flavor to make this cake special.
Water: Adding water to the browned butter will bring back some of the moisture that evaporates during the browning process.
All-purpose Flour: Gives the cake structure and a light, tender crumb.
Granulated Sugar: Sweetens the cake perfectly.
Eggs: Provide structure and stability, helping the cake rise and hold together while also adding moisture for a soft, rich texture.
Sour Cream: Provides moisture and richness for the perfect texture.
Vanilla Extract: Adds a warm, subtle flavor that complements the nuttiness of the browned butter.
Baking Powder: Helps the cake rise and ensures the crumb is fluffy and not dense.
Salt: Enhances the flavor.

Frosting

Unsalted Butter: Creates a smooth, creamy texture, making the frosting spreadable and rich without being too stiff or runny.
Powdered Sugar: Sweetens the frosting while giving it a spreadable consistency without any grittiness.
Vanilla Extract: For extra flavor.
Milk: Provides the perfect consistency for spreading.

How to Make a Browned Butter Sheet Cake

I know it looks like a lot of steps, but they are straightforward. Follow the instructions, and you’ll have a fantastic dessert that will definitely be a family favorite!

Making The Brown Butter Cake

Brown the Butter: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 13x18x1 baking sheet with baking spray with flour, or use regular pan spray and dust generously with flour. Tap out the excess flour. Add the butter to a small saucepan and melt it over medium heat until the butter browns. About 8-10 minutes. Watch for the butter to turn foamy and become very fragrant. It takes a while for it to start browning, but once it starts, it browns quickly, so don’t leave it unattended.
Add Water: Once the butter is browned, carefully add the water to the butter in the pan and bring it to a boil.
Whisk Flour and Sugar: While that comes to a boil, add the flour and sugar to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
Mix Ingredients: Add the eggs, sour cream, vanilla, baking powder, and salt and mix with a hand mixer on low speed.
Combine: Once the butter mixture is boiling, remove it from the heat and slowly mix it into the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
Bake: Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread it evenly. Bake for 25-27 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center and the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed on with your fingers. Let the cake cool completely.

Overhead shot of browned butter in a pot.

Overhead shot of someone pouring water into the browned butter.

Making the Frosting

Brown Butter: When the cake is fully cooled, prepare the frosting by adding the butter to a medium saucepan and melting it over medium heat for about 6 minutes to brown the butter. The butter should be foaming and smell nutty.
Mix in Other Ingredients: Turn off the heat and add powdered sugar, vanilla, and milk. Mix until smooth. You can do this by hand or with a hand mixer. The frosting should be thick enough to slightly hold its shape, but not stiff. If needed, mix in extra milk a tablespoon at a time.
Spread the Frosting: Add the frosting to the top of the cooled cake and spread it evenly across. The frosting sets up quickly once it is finished, so you want to move quickly with this step. Let the frosting finish setting up before slicing into pieces and serving.

Overhead shot of the butter being melted and browned in a pot for the frosting.

Overhead shot of the powdered sugar, vanilla and milk being mixed with the butter.

Tips For the Best Browned Butter Sheet Cake

By following these tips, your sheet cake will come out perfect every time! You want a smooth, moist texture and that rich, nutty flavor that makes it so irresistible!

Be Patient: Brown the butter carefully! It takes a while to brown butter, but once it starts browning, it goes very quickly.
Slowly add the Water: Pour the water into the butter carefully. The water will make the butter bubble and spit, so go slow and don’t get burned!
Frosting the Cake: Pour the frosting on the cake immediately! The frosting sets up very quickly. If you delay putting it on even just a minute or two after the powdered sugar is all mixed in, it will start to set up. It will be too dry when you spread it on the cake!
Pan Spray: I used a pan spray with flour called Baker’s Joy, and I swear by this stuff for preventing baked goods from sticking to the pan. If you don’t have a pan spray with flour, spray the pan very well with regular pan spray. Then, add a large handful of flour and tilt the pan, tapping it until the surface and inside edges are coated. Tap out the excess flour before adding your cake batter to the pan.

Overhead shot of browned butter sheet cake cut into squares in the baking sheet with someone taking one of the squares out with a wooden spatula.

How to Store Leftover Texas Sheet Cake

Storing: Cover this browned butter sheet cake tightly with foil or plastic wrap. Leftovers will keep for up to 5 days at room temperature.
Freezing: I would avoid freezing this cake because it is a sheet cake, and it can become harder to get slices out of the pan once it has been frozen and thawed.
Make Ahead: You can prepare the cake up to 24 hours before preparing the frosting.

Close up shot of a plated peice of browned butter sheet cake with a bite taken out with a gold fork.

More Delicious Cake Recipes

Make any occasion more sweet with one of our tried and true cake recipes! We have various cakes, from strawberry cake to ricotta cake. They’re all moist, tender and have incredible flavor that will have you coming back for more. Which one are you going to try first?

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Cake

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a 13x18x1 baking sheet with baking spray with flour in it, or use regular pan spray and dust generously with flour. Tap out the excess flour.
Add the butter to a small saucepan and melt it over medium heat until the butter browns, about 8-10 minutes. Watch for the butter to turn foamy and become very fragrant. It takes a while for it to start browning, but once it starts, it browns quickly, so don’t leave it unattended.
Once the butter is browned, carefully add the water to the butter in the pan and bring it to a boil.
While it comes to a boil, add the flour and sugar to a large bowl and whisk to combine.
Add the eggs, sour cream, vanilla, baking powder, and salt and mix with a hand mixer on low speed.
Once the butter mixture is boiling, remove it from the heat and slowly mix it into the flour mixture. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl to ensure everything is fully incorporated.
Pour the cake batter into the prepared pan and spread it out evenly. Bake for 25-27 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean from the center and the top of the cake springs back when lightly pressed on with your fingers.
Let the cake cool completely.