This week’s Tuesdays with Dorie recipe is all about simplicity. This Brown Butter and Vanilla Bean Weekend Cake (p6) is a great advertisement for simple ingredients shining. Butter, flour, vanilla bean, heavy cream, eggs and sugar. You pretty much can’t go wrong, can you?
The smell of this cake was enough to permeate my what-seem-to-be permanently blocked sinuses – first thing I’ve smelled in a long time! – and made the house smell quite magical. Vanilla bean on its own is pretty potent stuff but add in brown butter? So. Good.
The French call this type of cake a “Weekend Cake” because it is supposed to last all weekend – it’s easy to prepare (say, on a Friday) and better the next day. It works well for all types of snacks and meals. “Cake” in French invariably refers to a loaf cake, in case you’re wondering.
I served this cake with a blackberry coulis (blackberries from our garden, frozen in the summer!), fresh raspberries and the chocolate-avocado pudding (not quite set so it was more like a sauce) I made with my boys’ cooking club last week. I brought it to a casual dinner with some neighbours and we played “guess the mystery ingredient” with the avocado! The sturdy cake held up to being served with some strong flavours and even then, the vanilla and butter shone, I thought.
My favourite way to enjoy this? Slightly warmed (when it’s not quite cool or blitzed in the microwave a few days later when it’s a little stale – 15 seconds did the trick), and plain. Sometimes, simplicity is the best.
Get Dorie’s recipe for Brown Butter and Vanilla Bean Weekend Cake here or on page 6 of Baking Chez Moi.
Tuesdays with Dorie participants don’t publish the recipes on our blogs, so you’re encouraged to purchase Baking Chez Moi for yourself which you can do on Amazon or Amazon Canada or for free worldwide shipping, buy from The Book Depository. Then join us, baking our way through the book!
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Blackberry coulis; yum! Great idea. I only have about 1/2 cup of my summer blackberries left in the freezer. Just waiting for the perfect accompaniment to take them out for 🙂
The coulis tasted better because I knew it was from our garden 🙂
I hope you are finally feeling better…
This cake was good and it was so easy that I would call it a “weeknight cake” instead of a weekend cake 🙂
Getting there, thanks! And yes, this is TOTALLY a weeknight cake!
Blackberry coulis sounds like a great idea to serve with this cake!
It worked well, yes!
Yours is beautiful. Love those topping options too! – mary
Thanks – I was happy with the toppings but I love it plain too!
Oh yum…blackberry coulis…a perfect combination! Your cake looks beautiful!
Thanks and yes, the blackberries were perfect!
The flavor was so delicious it didn’t need any topping, although Jim tried his new jam
with the black currants called Kir Royale. (I prefer mine in a glass)
I love the idea of a Kir Royale jam 🙂
Oh, that cake looks lovely and I can just imagine it with those berries…everything is always better with berries! 🙂 Hope you are feeling better, those dang colds/sinus infections can hang around for way past when you hope they end.
Thanks – on the road to recovery now but ugh, it’s been too long. Glad I was able to smell this one!
The blackberry coulis sounds like a great complement to the cake. Two great tastes that taste great together!
Indeed!
Oooh, you sure had some terrific garnishes! This was such a tasty, versatile cake 🙂
Yes it’s a great blank canvas for all sorts of toppings!
I’m glad you were feeling well enough to smell this cake because it most definitely has a comforting fragrance. The idea of the coulis is brilliant! Growing up, we would often put homemade jams on Mom’s pound cake. Yum.
Yes, homemade jam would be best!
I love all of your topping pairings. Blackberry coulis with berries from your own garden! Chocolate avocado pudding sounds intriguing. Your photos are gorgeous as well.
Thanks so much – and yes, the toppings were tasty!
I made a brown butter pound cake when I first began blogging as part of a Daring Bakers project, and I was surprised at how noticeable the brown butter flavour was. I think the original recipe for the pound cake was from Gourmet magazine… all that to say that I haven’t made a brown butter poundcake since, but you’ve reminded me that I should 😉
I love a good pound cake with a simple list of ingredients that we all have on hand usually, and it is great paired with a fruit coulis as you did!
I do love a good pound cake too!
Your cake looks wonderful. The blackberry coulis sounds like a delicious accompaniment to it.
Yes it really worked well!
Your cake looks beautiful and how nice to have your own blackberries.
I did not so much taste the brown butter. Might go lighter on the rum next time :0)
I didn’t use rum at all…
Oooh, blackberry coulis! Sound delish! And yes, it’s a simple cake that really shines on it’s own.
Totally!
Brown butter.
Vanilla.
Weekend.
What’s not to love?!
Right?
Great favors Mardi, the color of your berry coulis jumps off the page ;). In the end I had success with this cake, after a second try using a different pan and it was enjoyed by all at my husband’s office!
Sounds like loaf pan is definitely the way to go!
I agree…simple is sometimes better. Your cake turned out beautiful!
Many thanks!
I was going to say “you had me at brown butter”, but what really makes this cake so awesome for me is your side of chocolate-avocado pudding. And with the raspberries… an amazing combination of flavors. Love.
The “pudding” really worked well as a sauce too!
As soon as I saw your cake Raspberry Coulis came to my mind. Since I have the book I will have to bake this cake soon.
I am sure you will love this, Hélène!
What a wonderful way to reawaken your sinuses. This was a good cake.
The best way!
I am going to try your idea and toast a piece, sounds delicious.
So good!
Looks good! I once made pudding with avocado – it wasn’t too bad. I bet know one could guess that secret ingredient.
It’s hard to place the flavour when it’s mixed with chocolate!
Love all your serving suggestions! This is one of those recipes that’s going to become a standard offering for me.
Totally – my “go to” pound cake from now on! Would be great with a glaze too!