Instructions

Chiffon Cake

1. Preheat oven to 325 F.
2. Sift flour, cornstarch, baking powder together.
3. Whisk in sugar and salt.
4. Combine egg yolks and oil with yogurt and mix into the dry ingredients until smooth.
5. In mixer with whisk attached, beat egg whites only with cream of tartar until soft peaks. This means that the whites should bulk on the whisk but the point will fall when held upright.
6. Gently but fully fold the egg whites into the batter.
7. Pour batter into dry cake pan. Add raspberries into batter if desired. I like to chop them rougly first. -- For pans, ideally a tube or bundt pan, but other pans will work. I baked my mini versions in small, individual-serving ring molds. Apply your preference, but do not prepare pan. No greasing or flour, etc. This batter needs to grab the pan to lift.
8. Bake until a toothpick comes out clean and is springy to the touch, 45-50 minutes for full-sized pans. This may vary slightly depending on pan type. Cool completely in pan.

Brown Butter

Prepare the brown butter:

1. Over low heat in a light-colored sauce pan (so you can visualize the color change), melt butter.
2. Stirring occasionally, heat butter over low to medium-low heat until bubbles start to form.
3. As bubbles form, stir more often. The butter will start to bubble more vigorously.
4. You may want to place a splatter guard over the pan.
5. At around 212 F (you don't need to check this), the butter will be at a full bubble. This is the water in the butter cooking out.
6. Continue stirring very often to prevent burning. As foam forms, carefully strain it off with a spoon.
7. Stir the de-foamed butter continuously until the small bits in the bottom of the pan turn amber brown. The butter itself may NOT turn very brown. These bits are the milk fats. Look for the color change there. Be very careful to not burn the milk fat solids.
8. Once browned, pour into a new bowl and allow to cool completely in fridge. Can be made well ahead of time and stored chilled.

Brown Butter Ermine Buttercream

1. Combine flour and milk in saucepan over medium heat.
2. Stir constantly until reduced and thick. Look for a paste-like consistency. Stop when you can see the bottom of the pan remain when pulling a spoon through the mixture.
3. Remove and cool.
4. Cream room temperature brown butter and sugar for 3-5 minutes until creamed and fluffy.
5. Add cooled flour mixture, vanilla, and mix at medium/medium-high speed until mixed thoroughly.
6. Scrape sides and whip at medium high speed until full whipped.

Finishing

1. Combine as desired. I prefer a thick buttercream layer between two cake layers and a simple powdered sugar dusting with fresh berries on top.
2. Share with us! Tag @southernfatty / #southernfatty on social media if you make this and post. We would love to see. -- Enjoy!