Brown Butter Apple Crumble Cake

Preheat an oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray a 9-inch (23-cm) square cake pan with nonstick baking spray. Line the pan with parchment paper, letting it overhang on the sides by 2 inches (5 cm), then spray the parchment.

To make the cake, in a large round cast-iron skillet over medium heat, melt the butter. Continue to heat the butter until it’s browned but not burnt (watch it very carefully!). Remove from the heat and let the brown butter cool slightly.

In a bowl, whisk together the milk, eggs and brown butter until combined. Add the quick bread mix and whisk just until combined. Set the pan used for the brown butter aside (do not wipe it out). Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and spread evenly.

To make the brown butter crumble, make the brown butter in the same cast-iron skillet following the instructions above for the cake batter; let cool slightly. In a bowl, stir together the flour, quick bread topping, brown butter, cinnamon and salt until a wet, sandy-like mixture forms. Using your hands, break up the crumble and sprinkle it evenly over the batter, gently pressing it down onto the surface.

Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes. Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes. Using the overhanging parchment, transfer the cake to a cutting board and cut into 16 pieces. Serves 16.

Williams Sonoma Test Kitchen