So, as you know now, my blog turned 5 last week. So… I made a cake. A simple butter cake, that turned out to be one of the best cakes I ever tasted. And it wasn’t even smothered in icing and it didn’t need to be served with cream… it was good as it was.
Sometimes the simple things really are the best.
I should apologise for the crappy iPhone photos and the chipped plate in the top photo, but I won’t. Because once you make this cake you’ll want to hunt me down and kiss me. And all will be forgiven.
Ingredients
225g unsalted butter, at room temperature
225g caster sugar
4 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
225g self-raising flour
1/2 cup milk
Icing sugar, to dust
Method
♥ Preheat your oven to 150°C. Grease and line a springform tin.
♥ In a large bowl beat the butter with an electric beater until light and creamy. Add the sugar slowly, until combined. Beat eggs and vanilla into the mix.
♥ Fold in the flour, and then gently mix in the milk.
♥ Pour the batter into the tin, and place into the oven. Bake for 50 minutes or until golden on top, and a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the middle.
♥ Let cool slightly into the tin, and then cool on a rack. Dust with icing sugar. I suggest trying it while warm, because it melts in your mouth. So good!
When’s the last time you had cake? Is a blog birthday cause enough for cake?
First: Happy Birth-Blog-Day! 5 years -thats pretty amazing and as I could read they have been eventful and gave you a lot of joy so far!
Second: There is ALWAYS time to have cake- its just plain angel & soul food! Right right? =) Sooo celebrating such a wonderful achievement is definately a reason to have a piece of heaven. <3
The last time I had cake was at work last week for a colleague’s birthday.
I agree with Monika, there’s always time for cake. I would have cake everyday if I could!
Happy Blog Birthday! What a milestone! You have created something so wonderful and inspirational right here – what an achievement! I had my cake and ate it last week for my birthday – actually I had two cakes and they were both totally yum! I don’t think one ever needs an excuse to eat cake. I agree, with Erin and Monika…cake makes the world go round!
Happy blog birthday!!!!! Any excuse for cake is a good one. This one sounds amazing. Yum!
Awww happy bloggy-bday! A classic butter cake should always be in your `keepers’ recipe collection 🙂
I used my blog bday as an excuse to make Neil Perry’s Choc Cherry Ricotta Layer cake a few months ago…
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I made this the other day and I can concur it is amazing!
I have made this cake a couple of times now – you are right – the best butter cake ever! Thanks for the recipe.
Hi Leanne, did you use a 20cm round tin?
Yes, concur best butter cake made. I swapped milk with butter milk. Hubby was delighted, and I’m happy I made a decent cake at last.
Hi Chantelle, what sized tin? I’ve got a 20cm… also is the 150 fan forced or normal oven?
Thanks
Chrystal.
Fan forced and 20cm 🙂
Thanks! 😀
OMG you are so right. The only torture worse than waiting for it to cool so I could add my passionfruit butter icing… is the workout I will need to do tomorrow to offset the massive piece I have just eaten… So worth it though…
Hi Chantelle I have made this cake twice now and its a beautiful cake. I just have one question though, Before putting the misxture into the oven, Is the mixture suppose to be lumpy and bumpy? Its like it has little balls in the mixture.. Am I doing somthing wrong?
Hey Karen, I haven’t made this one in so long – I can’t remember. I don’t think it did.
What’s the end product looking like for you? Is the butter soft enough when you’re making it?
If the end product is good, I wouldn’t stress too much about the lumpy bumps!
Hi Chantelle the end result is great but does have a different texture to it. I will make it again with extra soft butter hahaha.. And shall see if this makes a difference. Thank you .
I found mine sometimes looks a little lumpy before I put it in the tin, but usually a good stir combines it together. Regardless though, it still comes out great once it’s baked!!
This looks like such a beautiful classic! I am currently looking for a cake to bake for a homecoming,..all of your delicious cakes are so inspiring and I really can’t decide a cake to go for?!
Omg I just made this cake for the fourth time in a month! It’s amazing! Perfect on its own- but also perfect for kids cakes, I’ve made a blue number 2 and a yellow Banana’s in Pyjama’s cake- and as light as it is it was perfect under all the fondant icing! LOVE this, I’m sure it will be our standard birthday butter cake from now on, thank you!
This goes really well split between 2 small tins and filled with jam and cream. Much better than the traditional sponge!!!
So glad you love it! xxx
Today was the third time I’ve made this cake, and I keep telling people “yes, it’s the best butter cake ever!”. Today I subbed 25g of flour for 25g cocoa and it’s brilliant! About to make another batch for my daughters 1st birthday cake 🙂
Thanks so much for this recipe!! Definitely my go to cake now 🙂
Hi Chantelle… I just baked this recipe and it is definitely better than my first attempt following a taste.com.au recipe. I just wanted to ask whether you find it quite oily at the base? I’m using this to stack for a children’s cake – it will be frozen, thawed, crumbcoated with buttercream and finished with fondant.. I appreciate you didn’t make for this purpose so can’t really say how it will turn out after the 10-step process to turn your cake into some triple layered sugar mountain… but I just wondered whether the oiliness subsides once cooled, stored for a day or so or frozen/defrosted etc… Thanks, Katie
Hey Katie,
It’s been so long since I’ve made this, but I know the oily-ness you speak of. I can see that Jani commented below and said it was perfect for kids cakes.
I hope that helps. xxx
After reading the great comments I made two of these cakes for my boys 1 year and 4 year birthday parties on the weekend. They were perfect and I had loads of positive comments (even from the men!). The cake is moist, tasty, but light. I covered one in buttercream and the other in a thin layer of buttercream cream and then fondant. This is now my go to butter cake.
Hello,
I’m looking at using this recipe for a 33 by 24 cm tin about 7.5 cm deep. Would a 3x mixture be enough for this size tin while still being a light cake?
It did not work for me. I found the mixture to separate some What. The result was less than ordinary. Maybe i did something wrong, But have Mađe many cakes so am not a newby as such.
Made this cake for my daughters 10th b’day!! Was an absolute hit!! Light, buttery and delicious. I used just under 3/4 cup sugar. My folks went back for seconds…and kept the leftovers!
I’m actually making another today, for my nieces 3rd birthday!!