Butter Cake

I've been craving for a butter cake the whole day (having sadly forgotten the Hummingbird Bakery cupcakes Mel brought over yesterday), but I didn't have milk in the house, so I couldn't bake any nice, moist cake. Eventually, I got desperate enough that I asked James if I could take some milk from his carton.

Happily, I began to bake my cake, using a recipe I'd found from my newfound favourite baking blog: Bakerella!



Moist Yellow Cake

1 cup (about 225g) butter (room temperature)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs (room temperature)
3 cups sifted self-rising flour
1 cup whole milk (room temperature)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring


Preheat oven to 175 degrees Celcius.
Grease and flour (3) 8 inch cake pans.
Using a mixer, cream butter until fluffy.
Add sugar and continue to cream for about 7 minutes.
Add eggs one at a time. Beat well after each egg is added.
Add flour and milk in an alternating pattern, beginning and ending with flour. (I added them 4 tablespoonfuls by 4 tablespoonfuls)
Add vanilla and butter flavoring, until just mixed.
Divide batter equally into three cake pans.
Hold each layer about 3 inches above your counter and carefully drop the pans flat onto counter several times to ensure release of any air bubbles. This will help you have a more level cake.
Bake for 25 - 30 minutes (depending on your oven) until done.
Cool in pans for 5 - 10 minutes.
Remove and immediately wrap each layer in plastic wrap to seal in moisture. Cool completely on wire racks.
Once cooled, you are ready to assemble your cake.



I haven't actually finished baking it yet. I did make a few changes to the recipe: instead of whole milk, I used skimmed, simply because I didn't have whole milk on hand. I didn't have any butter flavouring on hand, so I didn't add it. I also didn't use store-bought self-raising flour, but instead made my own from plain flour, baking powder and salt, also because I didn't have any on hand.

The most obvious difference is that I used 2x 9 inch round pans, rather than 3x 8 inch pans. Obviously, the cooking time would be far longer - about double the stated length of time. Of course, I have only one cake pan, so I had to bake them in two batches. The second one is in the oven right now. I must say, the cake certainly smells heavenly! I can't wait for it to finish baking and cool down, so I can ice it and enjoy it :D I'll post again when the cake is done!