French Four-Spice Cake with Browned Butter Spice Frosting

Ingredients

• CAKE:
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• Zest of 1/2 orange
• 2 large eggs
• 1 1/3 cups flour
• 2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 2 teaspoons quatre épices
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup buttermilk
• FROSTING:
• 2/3 cup butter
• 1/4 cup honey
• 1 teaspoon quatre épices
• 2 tablespoons half-and-half
• 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 3 cups powdered sugar
• 2/3 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Preparation

1. 1. Preheat oven to 350°. Butter and flour a 9-in. square pan.
2. 2. Make cake: Beat butter, brown sugar, and zest in a large bowl with a mixer until fluffy. Add eggs and beat until well blended. In another bowl, combine flour and other dry ingredients. Add flour mixture to butter mixture one-third at a time, alternating with buttermilk half at a time, and beating on low speed after each addition until blended. Spread batter in pan.
3. 3. Bake until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool on a rack, 10 minutes. Loosen cake from pan with a slender spatula, then invert onto a rack. Re-invert onto another rack; cool completely.
4. 4. Make frosting: Cook butter in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, swirling pan occasionally, until deep golden brown, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour into a mixer bowl, let cool, then chill until firm enough to beat, about 30 minutes. Add remaining ingredients except for nuts and beat until fluffy, 1 to 2 minutes, occasionally scraping inside of bowl.
5. 5. Split cake horizontally with a long serrated knife. Lift off top layer with 2 wide spatulas. Set bottom layer on a platter, then spread with half of frosting. Replace top layer. Spread top of cake with remaining frosting, then sprinkle with nuts.
6. quatre épices