Browned Butter & Vanilla Bean Cupcakes

I love browned butter. Last time I made it I used it in frosting but this time I put it in the cake itself. I also got some vanilla beans in the mail today (I ordered them online from Beanilla, they are MUCH cheaper that way) so I thought I’d find a way to use them.


That might look a little gross, I promise it isn’t. After you brown the butter with the vanilla bean in it, you put it in the fridge or freezer to solidify it and that is what it becomes. Those are my finger prints in it testing to make sure it was solid.

The best part is when you scrape it out of the bowl and into the mixing bowl, the greatest aroma that I’ve ever inhaled hit me right in the face. The nutty smell of browned butter with the strong scent of vanilla, nothing can compare to it.

A nice thick batter speckled with vanilla bean seeds, yum! If it weren’t for the egg recall I would’ve licked the beater clean. Side note: even recalled eggs are safe if they are heated to 160°F before consuming, this means they are safe to bake with!

The 160°F rule is also helpful for making swiss meringue buttercream!

The egg whites, sugar, and vanilla bean seeds get heated to 160°F for the first step of the frosting, this will make them safe to eat without having to bake them.

Print Recipe
Browned Butter & Vanilla Bean Cupcakes
Adapted from The Sweet Life

Makes 24 cupcakes

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
3 sticks unsalted butter
1 2/3 cups sugar
2 whole eggs plus 4 egg yolks (set whites aside for frosting), room temperature
2 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 1/4 cups milk, room temperature

Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds into a medium saucepan. Place the vanilla bean in the saucepan as well.

Add in the butter and cook on medium-high until the butter begins to brown. The butter will bubble a bit before settling down, this is when you need to keep a close eye so the butter doesn’t burn. It should be a dark brown color with chocolate-colored spots. WATCH THIS LIKE A HAWK. When it is a rich brown color remove it from the heat, take out the vanilla bean pod, and pour the browned butter into a heatproof bowl. Refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours. I put mine in the fridge for an hour, the freezer for about 15-20 minutes, and then back in the fridge for another 15 minutes. Butter should have resolidified.

Preheat oven to 350°F and line two cupcake tins with paper liners. Sift together flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl, set aside.

Place the solid browned butter in the bowl of a stand mixer (or in your mixing bowl) and beat on medium speed until it becomes soft and creamy, about one minute.

Add sugar and beat on medium-high until the mixture begins to lighten in color and becomes fluffy, about 4-5 minutes.

Add in the egg and the egg yolks one at a time, beating fully between each addition. Beat for an additional one minute.

Set the mixer speed on low and add the dry ingredients in three parts, alternating with the milk. Beat until just incorporated.

Scoop out the batter and fill each cupcake liner about 3/4 full. Bake for 17-20 minutes, watching carefully. Mine were done around 19. Move them to a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.

Vanilla Bean Swiss Meringue Buttercream

1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise
4 large egg whites
1 1/4 cups sugar
3 sticks unsalted butter, room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds. Add them to a heatproof mixing bowl with the egg whites and sugar.

Set the mixing bowl over a pot of simmering water (don’t allow water to touch the bowl) and whisk constantly until the mixture reaches 160°F and the sugar is dissolved (you can test if the sugar is dissolved with your finger).

Remove bowl from heat and attach it to a stand mixer fixed with a whisk attachment (or if you aren’t using a stand mixer, just set it down) and whisk on high speed until stiff peaks form, this should take anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes.

With the mixer still on high speed, add the butter a tablespoon at a time, waiting until it is fully incorporated before adding the next piece. If you add the butter too fast, the buttercream will get soupy, if this happens just place it in the fridge for 5 to 10 minutes and go back to whipping.

Once all the butter is incorporate, keep whipping for another minute or two. This is where you can add the additional vanilla extract if you desire.

Frost cupcakes!

Filed Under Cupcakes