Brown butter loaf cake

Preheat oven to 170°C (150°C fan-forced). Grease a 10.5cm x 30cm (top measurement) loaf pan; line base and sides with baking paper. Sift flour and baking powder into a medium bowl; set aside.

Beat butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on low speed until combined. Increase speed to high; beat for 3 minutes or until light and fluffy. Reduce speed to low-medium, add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the flour mixture and milk, in batches, beating until smooth, occasionally scraping down the side of the bowl with a spatula. Spread mixture into pan.

Bake loaf cake for 1 hour or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Leave cake in pan for 20 minutes before turning, top-side up, onto a wire rack to cool.

Meanwhile, for brown butter icing, stir butter in a medium saucepan over low-medium heat until melted. Cook for 5 minutes or until butter foams, stirring frequently until the milk solids turn golden brown and butter smells nutty. (Take care not to let it burn, as it will continue to brown once removed from the heat.) Transfer mixture to a heatproof bowl; refrigerate for 30 minutes, or until the butter is solidified but still soft enough to be beaten with an electric mixer.

Beat the brown butter and vanilla with electric mixer until as white as possible. Gradually beat in the sifted icing sugar and milk in two batches until fluffy.

Spread buttercream icing on the cake in a swirly pattern. Just before serving, top with almonds and salt flakes.