Brother Anselm's Quadrupel Ale Cake

Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan or bundt pan with butter and a dusting of flour.

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt 3/4 cup butter and continue cooking, swirling occasionally, for 5-7 minutes until the butter turns golden amber and smells nutty. Remove from heat immediately and let cool for 5 minutes — this is your browned butter.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg until evenly combined.

In a separate bowl, whisk the eggs, brown sugar, honey, heavy cream, and cooled browned butter until smooth and slightly thickened, about 2 minutes.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and fold gently with a wooden spoon until just combined — do not overmix. A few small lumps are fine and welcome.

Pour the dark, fragrant batter into your prepared pan. The batter will be thick and glossy, reminiscent of a monastery's darkest ale.

Bake for 28-32 minutes, until the top is deeply golden and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out with just a few moist crumbs.

Cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 3 tablespoons butter with the honey and heavy cream. Stir until smooth and glossy, about 2 minutes.

While the cake is still warm, poke the surface generously with a fork and pour the warm honey glaze over the top, letting it pool and seep into every crevice.

In a small light-colored pan, melt 4 tablespoons butter over medium heat and continue cooking until deeply browned and fragrant, about 4-5 minutes. The moment it smells like toffee and begins to smoke, remove from heat.

Drizzle the hot browned butter over the glazed cake in slow, reverent ribbons. It will sizzle and caramelize against the warm surface.

Let the cake rest for 15 minutes before slicing. Serve warm with an extra pour of honey, if your vow of simplicity allows.