Pine Nut Butter Cake

Pin It

I Heart Faces is a great website that sponsors photography challenges for bloggers. I just found it today and this week's challenge is one of my favorite topics - desserts! While this photo is not my favorite, I did love the dessert and I don't have time to make something else before the entry deadline later this evening.


I knew immediately that I would make this Pine Nut Butter Cake when I came across it on the beautiful blog So Good and Tasty and ended up making it that same day.

The cake was incredibly simply to make using pantry ingredients, no special equipment, and no special prep (no butter to soften- yay!) and was absolutely delicous! The brown sugar gives the cake a wonderful caramel flavor and the butter adds richness. Pine nuts are always in my pantry, but if they are not in your house, any nut would work beautifully. Chocolate chips, dried fruit, or a combination of toppings would also work; however, the beauty of this cake is in its simplicity.

A huge hit in our house, I expect this to become a regular around here!

Pine Nut Butter Cake
So Good and Tasty

6 ounces(12 tablespoons) unsalted butter, melted
1 cup cane sugar or granulated sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
2 extra large eggs, at room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons pine nuts

Center a rack in the center of the oven. Preheat to 350˚F. Generously butter or spray a 9" round cake pan. Dust the inside with flour, shake off excess. Cut a round piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan. Butter the parchment round and place in the pan, butter-side up.
Place melted butter in a large bowl. Add the sugars and stir together with a rubber spatula until thoroughly blended.

One at a time add the eggs to the butter mixture. Mix evenly, scraping the sides down as you go. The mixture may look curdled as the eggs are added, but it will smooth out. Then add the vanilla and stir to blend.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour and salt, then add to the butter mixture in 3 stages, blending well after each addition.

Transfer the batter to the prepared cake pan. The batter is very thick, so use a rubber spatula to spread it evenly into the pan.

Sprinkle the pine nuts evenly over the top of the cake.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean.

Remove the pan from the oven and cool completely on a rack. Invert the pan to remove the cake, then peel the parchment paper off the back of the cake. Re-invert the cake onto a serving plate.

Cut into wedges and serve at room temperature.

Store the cake tightly wrapped in aluminum foil at room temperature up to four days. Freeze up to 3 months, wrapped tightly in several layers of plastic and aluminum foil. Defrost overnight in the refrigerator and bring to room temperature before serving.