Brown Butter Nectarine Crumb Cake
Welcome back to The Seasonal Bakery: Golden Hour Collection, a summer baking series celebrating the ingredients, flavours and little moments that make the season special.
For Episode 2, I’m celebrating one of summer’s most beautiful stone fruits with this Brown Butter Nectarine Crumb Cake.
A tender, buttery cake filled with sweet slices of ripe nectarine, infused with nutty browned butter and finished with a golden, crunchy crumb topping. It’s the kind of bake that feels nostalgic and comforting. Simple enough for a slice with your afternoon tea, but special enough to serve as a summer dessert.
The Magic of Browned Butter
The secret ingredient in this nectarine cake is browned butter.
Also known as beurre noisette, browned butter is made by gently cooking butter until the milk solids turn golden and develop a rich, nutty aroma. The flavour is deeper, warmer and more complex than regular butter, with hints of caramel and toasted hazelnut.
It’s a small extra step that completely transforms a simple cake, adding a beautiful richness that pairs perfectly with sweet summer nectarines.
How to make browned butter
Making browned butter is a simple technique that completely transforms a recipe. By gently cooking butter, the milk solids separate and slowly toast, creating a golden butter with a rich, nutty aroma and a flavour reminiscent of caramel and toasted nuts.
To make browned butter:
Melt the butter gently
Add butter to a light-coloured saucepan (this makes it easier to see the colour change) and melt over a medium heat.Watch for the stages
The butter will begin to foam as the water evaporates. Continue stirring occasionally as the milk solids begin to sink to the bottom of the pan and turn golden brown.Look for the right colour and aroma
Once the butter smells nutty and toasted, and you see golden-brown flecks throughout, remove it from the heat immediately. The butter can go from perfectly browned to burnt very quickly.Cool before using
Transfer the browned butter to a heatproof bowl, making sure to scrape in all those flavour-packed brown flecks from the bottom of the pan. Allow it to cool slightly, then refrigerate until solid again.
The result is a beautifully aromatic butter that adds incredible depth to cakes, biscuits, pastries and desserts.
Can I make browned butter ahead of time?
Yes. Browned butter can be made ahead and stored in the fridge for up to a week. Bring it back to room temperature before using in your recipe.
Why does browned butter taste so good?
Browning the butter creates a process called the Maillard reaction, where the milk solids toast and develop deeper flavours. This creates the nutty, caramel-like flavour that makes browned butter so special.
Choosing the best nectarines for baking
For the best brown butter nectarine crumb cake, look for nectarines that are:
Ripe and fragrant: They should smell sweet and fruity.
Slightly firm: They should have a little give when gently pressed but shouldn’t be too soft.
In season: Nectarines are at their best from around June to September, when they’re naturally sweet and full of flavour.
When baked, nectarines soften beautifully while still holding their shape, creating little pockets of jammy fruit throughout the cake.
Why you’ll love this nectarine crumb cake
This summer fruit cake is:
Rich but not overly sweet: Brown butter adds depth while fresh nectarines bring natural sweetness.
Perfectly textured: A soft, tender cake topped with a buttery, crunchy crumb.
Simple yet special: Easy enough for a weekend bake but beautiful enough to serve to guests.
A celebration of seasonal fruit: Making the most of nectarines while they’re at their peak.
Serving suggestions
This cake is delicious served slightly warm, when the fruit is soft and the crumb topping is crisp.
Try serving it with:
A scoop of vanilla ice cream for a classic summer dessert
Pouring cream for something simple and indulgent
Homemade custard for the ultimate comfort bake
Crème fraîche or Greek yoghurt for a lighter option
A cup of tea or coffee for an afternoon treat
Brown Butter Nectarine Crumb Cake
Episode 2 of The Seasonal Bakery: Golden Hour Collection
Prep Time 30 min
Cook Time 45 min
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
For the cake:
150g unsalted butter
3 nectarines, stone removed and finely sliced
130g light brown soft sugar + an additional 30g for tossing the fruit in
2 large eggs
125g spelt flour
60g ground almonds
1 ½ tsp baking powder
For the topping:
120g unsalted butter, at room temperature
120g plain or spelt flour
80g light brown sugar sugar
Method
Preheat the oven to 180C / 350F and grease and line a 20cm loose-bottomed cake tin.
Start by making the browned butter (the secret to this cake’s incredible depth of flavour). Add the butter to a saucepan over a medium heat and allow it to melt. As it begins to foam, gently stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up the milk solids from the bottom of the pan. Continue cooking until the butter turns a beautiful golden-brown colour and smells wonderfully nutty and caramel-like.
Pour the browned butter into a shallow heatproof bowl and place it in the fridge to firm up. You want it to become solid but still soft enough to cream together with the sugar.
While the browned butter cools, prepare the crumb topping. Cut the remaining butter into small cubes and add it to a large bowl with the flour and sugar. Using your fingertips, gently rub the butter into the dry ingredients until you have a mixture of coarse, buttery crumbs. Squeeze together a little for chunkier crumbs, before placing in the fridge while you prepare the cake.
Slice the nectarines and toss them gently 30g light brown sugar. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, ground almonds and baking powder, whisking everything together until evenly mixed.
Once the browned butter has cooled and firmed slightly, add it to the bowl of a stand mixer with the 130g sugar. Beat together for around five minutes until light, pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, mixing gently until just combined.
Fold through the dry ingredients until you have a smooth cake batter, then spoon into the prepared tin and smooth the surface with a spatula. Arrange the sliced nectarines, skin side up, over the top.
Scatter over the prepared crumb topping, leaving some of the nectarine peeking out.
Bake for 40–45 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool slightly before slicing and serving with a generous spoonful of vanilla ice cream, pouring cream or homemade custard.
