Baking a Standard Butter Cake
A reliable butter cake relies on the mechanical aeration of sugar and fat. When done right, the crumb is tight, consistent, and capable of holding whatever finish you choose.
Temperature is your primary ingredient.
If your butter is too cold, it won't hold air; if it is melted, the cake will be greasy. Use an oven thermometer to verify the heat, as most built-in dials are inaccurate.
- stand mixer or electric hand mixer
- two 8-inch round cake pans
- parchment paper
- silicone spatula
- wire cooling rack
What goes in.
- 2 1/4 cupsall-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 cupsgranulated sugar
- 3/4 cupunsalted butter, softened
- 3 largeeggs, room temperature
- 1 cupwhole milk, room temperature
- 3 1/2 tspbaking powder
- 1 tspvanilla extract
- 1/2 tspfine sea salt
Building the structure
Beat the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture lightens from a yellow opaque to a pale, fluffy off-white. This incorporates the air bubbles that the baking powder will later expand.
The method.
Prep the pans
Grease the pans thoroughly with butter and line the bottoms with parchment circles. Dust with flour, tapping out the excess.
Cream the base
Beat butter and sugar for 5 minutes. Scrape the bowl halfway through to ensure no streaks of butter remain stuck to the bottom.
Add eggs
Add eggs one at a time, beating on medium speed until each is fully incorporated before adding the next.
Incorporate dry ingredients
Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt. Add one-third of the dry mix to the butter, followed by half the milk. Repeat, ending with the dry ingredients. Mix only until the flour disappears.
Bake
Divide batter between pans. Bake at 350°F (175°C) for 30-35 minutes. The cake is done when a tester comes out clean and the center springs back when lightly pressed.
Other turns to take.
Lemon Zest
Add the zest of two lemons to the sugar before creaming to release the oils into the fat.
Chocolate Marble
Remove one cup of batter and mix with 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder, then swirl into the pans before baking.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Always weigh your flour if you have a scale; it is far more accurate than measuring cups.
Do not open the oven door during the first 20 minutes, or you risk the center collapsing.
Cool the cakes in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them onto a wire rack; this allows the structure to firm up.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my cake sink in the middle?
Usually, this happens because the oven temperature was too low, the leavening agent was expired, or the cake was pulled from the oven before the center finished setting.
Can I use salted butter?
Yes, but omit the added salt in the recipe to keep control over the flavor balance.
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