Butterscotch cake has rightfully earned its place as a classic because of its nostalgic flavor profile. The cake is usually made with brown sugar, butter, and cream, all of which give the cake a very indulgent and decadent taste. Sometimes butterscotch sauce is included in the cake batter and frosting, and sometimes the cake is topped with butterscotch chips and butterscotch sauce. In this butterscotch cake recipe, the combination of brown sugar and butter creates a caramel-like taste that is so smooth and a medley of sweet and salty notes.
While you can instantly get a butterscotch-flavored cake from your neighborhood bakery, baking it from scratch at home is a completely different ball game when it comes to taste and quality.
Here, you have the power to choose the quality of ingredients, make alterations according to your preferences, and even make some additions and omissions, like incorporating nuts or even chocolate chips.
Then there’s the question of freshness. Most bakeries have fresh cakes, but the one you make at home will be the freshest ever. There’s also the satisfaction of creating something new and different at home, which is why we encourage everyone to give this recipe a shot.
A moist and tender crumb is something that is non-negotiable for a perfectly baked and frosted butterscotch-flavored cake. Here, a generous amount of packed brown sugar plays along with ingredients like oil, buttermilk, or sour cream to ensure the softness in every single bite.
As the name suggests, a rich, authentic butterscotch flavor is at the heart of the recipe. The buttery aroma and the creamy soft texture of the cake turn the experience into pure bliss.
While the cake itself carries the beautiful butterscotch flavor in it, the true delight lies in the generous frosting that not only decorates the cake, but also takes the experience to a whole new level with the caramel-infused buttercream.
This ‘make-ahead’ option brings in a huge advantage in terms of preparation time. Fr this butterscotch cake, the cake layers can be frozen for as long as 3 months, or can be stored in the fridge for 3 days. The sauce can also be prepared a week beforehand.
The word ‘butterscotch’ is much like a sweet childhood memory. Something that instantly brings a smile to the face, while the mind gets whisked away towards the creamy, buttery, caramelized goodness. Every bite of a butterscotch-flavored cake carries a subtle and warm combination of browned butter and caramelized brown sugar with a tinge of saltiness to create a perfect balance.
For a butterscotch cake, brown butter is the ingredient that makes or breaks the outcome. While the caramelized sugar takes care of the sweetness, browned butter is in charge of the main buttery flavor. It is the browned butter that takes the cake to a new high when paired with butterscotch frosting and sauce.
Nobody likes a butterscotch cake that is dry. For a butterscotch cake, sour cream often takes care of the moisture when combined with brown sugar, butter, and the other ingredients. Incorporating this in the recipe also makes the crumb tender.
Ingredients
For the brown butter:
For the cake:
For the butterscotch frosting:
First, begin with the brown butter by melting 113 grams of butter in a saucepan. Stir occasionally but allow it to bubble and foam so the solids separate from the liquid.
Remove the saucepan from the heat and allow the butter to come down to room temperature.
Then place the saucepan in the refrigerator, but don’t forget to keep stirring it occasionally.
Preheat the oven to 180 C and grease three 6-inch round cake tins. Set them aside.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, cinnamon, baking powder, and sea salt.
Take out the brown butter from the fridge and let it reach room temperature before beating it with brown sugar and oil. Preferably, use a stand mixer or an electric whisk for this purpose.
Then add one egg at a time and keep whisking until well-combined.
Once the eggs are fully incorporated into the oil and butter mixture, add the sour cream and vanilla extract.
Then slowly add half of the dry ingredients into the wet ones, and give a good mix.
Then add the other half of the dry ingredients and mix again.
The batter might seem thick, which is why now is the time to add the milk to it.
Pour the batter evenly into the greased cake tins and bake for 30 to 35 minutes. If you have a large oven, then you can place all the cake tins in it. If you have a small oven, then bake one cake at a time.
When the cakes are cooked through, let them cool in the tin completely.
As the cakes cool, you can start working on the butterscotch frosting that will go between each layer and on the top.
For this, add the butterscotch chips to a large bowl and in a saucepan, gently heat the whipping cream.
Bring it to a simmer, then pour it over the butterscotch chips. The heat should melt the chips instantly, so mix well to get a sauce.
Cover this bowl and allow it to cool down. This should take about 15 to 20 minutes.
Remove about ¾ cup of this butterscotch ganache from the total amount and set it aside.
Then, using a stand mixer or an electric whisk, beat air into the ganache for about 3 to 5 minutes.
By this time, the cakes should have cooled down.
Place the bottom layer on a cake stand, and liberally spread the butterscotch frosting over it. Cover with the second cake.
Spread butterscotch frosting over it, too, and cover with the third cake.
You can crumb coat the cake with this frosting, too, and then set it in the fridge to cool.
When you’re done with this step, use the remaining butterscotch ganache to cover the entirety of the cake.
Pour the unwhipped butterscotch ganache that you had set aside previously over the finished cake. You can even garnish it with butterscotch chips.
Whenever it comes to a butterscotch-flavored cake, the attention is always on the buttercream frosting and the saucy dip. Filled with flavor and aroma, everyone enjoys the creamy, saucy parts more than the cake itself. Made with caramelized brown sugar, butter, and cream, both the frosting and dip adds its signature touch to the cake in their own ways.
To make the drip, make sure the sauce is cooled before adding it to the buttercream. This ensures a thick, pourable consistency for the drip. For the frosting, the cooled butterscotch sauce is whipped into a softened butter-like consistency to create a light, fluffy buttercream.
What makes the cake sink?
A butterscotch cake often sinks in the middle due to reasons like underbaking and overmixing of the batter. Moreover, using expired leavening agents or opening the oven door too early also causes the cake to sink.
Why is the cake dry?
A butterscotch cake turns dry for reasons like overbaking, using excess flour, or adding insufficient fat.
How to fix a runny frosting?
The best method to fix a runny frosting is to chill it for an extra 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Make sure the bowl is covered before placing it in the fridge.
If storing at room temperature for 2 days, make sure the frosted butterscotch cake is kept in an airtight container.
Refrigeration is needed when it needs to be stored for 4-5 days. If the cake contains cream cheese frosting or buttercream frosting, refrigeration is a must.
Freezing is the option for long-term storage. While one can flash-freeze the cake for 1-2 hours to make sure the frosting is firm, proper freezing keeps the cake intact for up to 3 months.