Introducing my easy Butter Cake recipe. A tender cake with a soft, buttery crumb all topped with a simple vanilla buttercream. This classic tea cake is quick, easy and perfect for morning or afternoon tea.
Classic Butter Cake 💕
Is there anything better than a soft and tender Butter Cake frosted with melt-in-your-mouth vanilla buttercream?
This tea-time treat uses only pantry staples but is bound to become a firm family favourite.
Serve with fresh strawberries and whipped cream, or add a thick layer of fluffy vanilla buttercream. Dusted with white chocolate curls, it’s a simple but oh-so-delicious tea-time treat.
Why you will love this recipe
- Buttery crumb: I’ll show you how to get a super tender crumb bursting with sweet vanilla flavour.
- Quick and easy: This buttery cake takes only minutes to make.
- Simple ingredients: You only need to use a handful of basic pantry ingredients.
- Last minute: It’s the perfect cake to whip up at the last minute when you don’t have time to run to the shops.
recipe testing
For the longest time, I’ve been obsessing over one-layer cakes. You know the kind – they won’t win awards when compared to a towering layer cake – but they always, always win in taste.
They’re quick to make and fun to serve, whether it’s for a leisurely gathering, a friendly morning tea or a low-key birthday celebration.
I’ve been slowly making my way through the classics – Apple Cake, Cinnamon Tea Cake, Coffee Cake, Banana Cake and now, Butter Cake.
There are no special ingredients in this cake. It’s made just the way you would expect, with butter, sugar, eggs and flour. And while there is nothing surprising about the ingredients list, the mastery comes from the method.
If you follow the instructions and make sure your ingredients are at room temperature, where specified, your cake is bound to be buttery and sweet, soft and moist – just like a good Butter Cake should be.
Try not to over mix or over bake your cake and you’re sure to be delighted with the results.
What is Butter Cake?
Butter Cake is a basic cake made with simple ingredients – the key being butter. It’s quick and simple to make.
It achieves its beautifully, buttery crumb by creaming together butter and sugar using an electric mixer. It is a light, moist and buttery cake.
How to make a Butter Cake
- One of the keys to making a really good Butter Cake is making sure ingredients, like your butter and eggs, are at room temperature. This cake relies heavily on the correct creaming of your butter and sugar in the beginning to create a lovely soft and fluffy cake. And the temperature of your ingredients are key to this result.
- I recommend using good quality butter and caster sugar to begin. If you don’t have access to caster sugar, you can swap it 1:1 for granulated sugar. Read more about caster sugar here.
- Begin by creaming together your room temperature butter, sugar and vanilla using an electric mixer. If you watch closely, you’ll see that in just a minute or two, not only will the two ingredients combine but they will change in colour and texture. Your butter mixture will become pale and creamy – almost a little fluffy. This is the perfect start to your Butter Cake.
- Next, add your eggs. It’s important for your eggs to also be at room temperature. If they are fridge cold, it’s likely your mixture will curdle or go a little lumpy. If this happens, it’s ok, but try to avoid it next time by adding room temperature eggs.
- Mix your eggs just briefly to break up the yolks and give the sides a good scrape down.
- Finally, you’ll add half your flour and baking powder, along with your full fat milk, and slowly mix to combine. Then add the remaining flour mix. There’s no need to over mix. At this stage your cake batter should be smooth and creamy.
- Finally, cook your cake in a moderate oven until it springs back lightly to the touch. It should go lovely and golden on top. Try not to over bake your Butter Cake so it’s not dry.
- Leave your cake to cool completely before frosting with a little vanilla buttercream. Perfection!
Did you make this recipe? Don’t forget to rate the recipe and leave a comment below. Hungry for more? Join me on Instagram, Facebook, Pinterest and Twitter for more amazing recipe ideas.
Let’s Bake
Easy Butter Cake
A simple one layer butter cake made from scratch.
Ingredients
Butter cake
- 115 grams (1/2 cup or 1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 150 grams (3/4 cup) caster sugar or granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 large eggs, room temperature
- 210 grams (1 and 1/2 cups) plain flour or all purpose flour
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 180 ml (3/4 cup) full fat or whole milk
Easy buttercream
- 115 grams (1/2 cup) butter, room temperature
- 250 grams (2 cups) icing sugar or powdered sugar, sifted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1–2 tablespoons full fat or whole milk, room temperature
- A few drops of pink food gel, optional
- White chocolate, shaved, optional
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 C (350 F) standard / 160 C (320 F) fan-forced. Grease and line an 8-inch round cake pan with baking or parchment paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer on medium speed until pale and creamy, approximately 2 minutes. Add eggs, one at a time, and beat briefly – don’t worry if the mixture goes a little bit lumpy – then scrape down the sides of the bowl.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the plain flour, baking powder and salt. Add half of the flour mixture, along with all the milk and slowly mix together on a low speed. Add the remaining flour mixture and continue to mix until the cake batter is smooth and creamy (but try not to over mix).
- Pour cake batter into your prepared tin and bake in the oven for approximately 30-35 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean.
- To make the frosting, add butter to a large mixing bowl. Beat with an electric mixer for 2 minutes or until smooth and creamy. Add vanilla, sugar and 1 tablespoon of milk and continue to beat until smooth.
- If the frosting is too thick, add extra tablespoon of milk. If desired, add a few drops of food gel and stir until frosting changes colour.
- Spread frosting on top of cooled cake. Sprinkle over white chocolate shavings.
Notes
*Butter Cake is best served on the day it is made.
Ashley says
This recipe is sooooooooo good. I’ve baked this a couple times now and everyone always raves on how good it is. Thanks for the great recipe Jessica!
Jessica Holmes says
Yaaay! So happy to hear that Ashley!
Emily says
Will this cake freeze well?
Jessica Holmes says
Yes Emily!
Hamidah says
My butter cake turned out great just like the picture. I love this recipe. Tq so much for sharing
Jessica Holmes says
Yaaay! So happy to hear that!
Veronica says
Amazing recipe I really love baking and this really gave me what I need
Jessica Holmes says
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Cherrie says
I made this as per the instructions and I ended up with a beautifully smooth and tasty cake. Will definitely make again.
Jessica Holmes says
Amazing! So happy to hear that Cherrie!
Mekhala says
Hi, Thanks for the recipe. Would like to know if I can use buttermilk instead of milk?
Jessica Holmes says
Yes that should be ok.
Jolly beans says
I just made this! It’s by far the best cake I’ve ever baked haha! Thank you so much for this wonderful recipe.
Jessica Holmes says
I’m so happy to hear that!!
Jaime says
I just made this cake for my 7yr olds birthday and I got a double thumbs up. Incredibly moist, flavoursome and easy to make. I’d make it again in a heart beat. Great alternative to a standard sponge cake and will keep kids of every age very happy. Thanks Jess 🙂
Jessica Holmes says
That makes me so happy to hear Jaime! So glad you loved it!
Tiffany says
If I used self raising flour instead of plain flour, will this ruin the recipe or will it just make the cake slightly taller?
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Tiffany, since self raising flour already has baking powder in it, you’d need to adjust or omit the baking powder in the recipe. I haven’t tested it myself so I can’t recommend, but since 1 cup of self raising flour has about 1.5-2 teaspoons baking powder, the ratio is likely to be quite similar.
Paulette says
Made this cake yesterday. It is amazing. Moist, tasty and crispy around the edges. Skipped the frosting too much sugar. Can I use substitute Splenda instead of sugar? Thank you.
Jessica Holmes says
Hi Paulette, so glad you enjoyed the cake! I haven’t tried making frosting using Splenda before so I’m not sure – sorry!
Roshanee Beekrum says
Love to try 😇👍
Baylea says
Why would this not work as a layer cake? I’m hoping to make 2x 8in and 2x 6in layer cakes and so crave butter cake
Jessica Holmes says
Hi, yes you could make two cakes and make a layer cake.
Shari says
Hi
Thanks for the recipe… planning to give it a try this week…pictures of the cake look just the way I crave…
I’ve made butter cake before but never got this moist texture I’m looking for..
Hope it comes out exactly like your one.
Will let you know…
Jessica Holmes says
Hope you enjoy it!
Ogo says
Menu is simplified and procedure well detailed. God Bless you
Jessica Holmes says
So glad you liked it!
Gladys Taut says
I just baked a buttercake I hope it will taste delicious I will let you now the results.
Jessica Holmes says
I hope you enjoy it!
M says
Can I use cake flour for this recipe
Jessica Holmes says
I haven’t tried!