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Butter Cake

A simple and versatile butter cake is an essential recipe. My lightly sweet, gorgeously tender version is easily dressed up or down.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 10 servings
Course: Dessert
Cuisine: American
Calories: 247
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 ½ teaspoons baking powder
  • ⅛ teaspoon salt
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 cup granulated sugar,
  • 2 eggs lightly beaten
  • ½ cup whole milk
Easy Chocolate Frosting
  • 2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
  • 1 ½ cups powdered sugar, sifted
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons whole milk, plus more if needed
  • ½ teaspoopn vanilla extract

Method
 

  1. Preheat your oven to 350℉. Line the bottom of an 8 or 9-inch round cake pan with a circle of parchment.
  2. In a small bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Stir to mix well and aerate.
  3. In a large bowl and using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary, until the butter is lighter in color, about 45 seconds. Then add the sugar in a steady stream and scrape down the bowl again. Continue to mix on medium speed until the mixture is very light in color and texture, about 4 to 5 minutes.
  4. Slowly pour in the eggs a little at a time, and beat very well for about 2 minutes.
  5. Combine the vanilla and milk in a small bowl or measuring cup.
  6. With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in four doses, alternating with the milk in three doses. Scrape down the sides of the bowl in between additions.
  7. Pour the batter into prepared cake pan, place in the oven, and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
  8. Remove from the oven and set on a rack to cool for 10 minutes then turn out onto rack to finish cooling completely.
Frosting
  1. Heat chocolate in a double bolier until melted. Let cool to room temperature. In a large bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed, cream the butter. Add the chocolate, powdered sugar, milk, and vanilla and beat on low speed until combined, about 1 minute. Stop the mixer and scrape down the sides of the bowl. Increase the speed to medium and beat for 2 minutes, then reduce the speed to low. Add more sugar and milk as needed.
  2. If the frosting is dry, add more milk, 1 teaspoon at a time, until it is creamy but still holds peaks.
  3. Liberally frost cake.

Notes

  • Bring ingredients to room temperature - This is important in any baking recipe. Bringing the ingredients to room temperature helps them blend better together.
  • Make a double batch - For a layer cake, double the ingredients to make two cake layers. You can either use two layers for the cake or split each layer in half to make a stunning presentation.
  • Bake in an 8-inch or 9-inch pan - I prefer to bake cakes in an 8-inch cake pan because they bake up a bit thicker, and I adore a thick slice of cake. However, you can also bake the batter in a 9-inch cake pan.
  • Do cupcakes - One batch of butter cake batter will yield 12 cupcakes. Use cupcake liners or well grease a cupcake tin, then fill each cup ⅔ of the way with batter and bake for about 20 minutes, until a tester comes out clean.