Brown Butter Yogurt Coffee Cake

Start to finish: 1 hour 10 minutes
Impresses: 9-12

Ingredients

For the cake:
¾ cup unsalted butter, browned
½ cup granulated sugar
½ cup brown sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
2½ cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup plain full-fat yogurt

For the streusel:
1½ cups all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
1 cup chopped pecans (optional)
1 cup unsalted butter, melted

For the glaze:
½ cup powdered sugar
1 tablespoon butter, melted
1-2 teaspoons milk

Method

For the cake:
To make the brown butter, melt the butter over medium heat in a small saucepan. Once melted, stir frequently and watch closely for the formation of brown specks on the bottom of the pan and a nutty aroma. Once you see the brown specks form, stir for just a few more seconds, as the butter will brown quickly. Remove from heat and immediately pour into a separate bowl to prevent burning. Let cool for about 10 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F, and line a lightly greased 9-by-13-inch cake pan with parchment paper (for thicker pieces of coffee cake, use a 9-by-9-inch pan.)

In a large bowl, whisk together the browned butter, sugars, eggs and vanilla extract until fully combined and smooth. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and salt. 

Alternate folding in half the dry ingredients and yogurt; then mix until just combined. The batter should be smooth and thick.

For the streusel:
In a medium bowl, mix together all the streusel ingredients until it comes together and forms clumps. Use your hands to form larger clumps if desired. 

Spoon half the coffee cake batter into the bottom of your pan, and spread into a smooth layer. Sprinkle half the streusel in an even layer over the batter. Top with the remaining batter and then sprinkle with the rest of the streusel. 

Bake 45-55 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean. If the streusel begins to brown too quickly, cover with foil for the remaining baking time. Remove from oven, and let the cake cool completely in the pan before removing.

For the glaze:
To make the glaze, whisk together the powdered sugar and melted butter. Add milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until the desired consistency is reached. Drizzle glaze over the top of the coffee cake and enjoy.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days.