Most of the older community cookbooks I have, even some reproductions of recipe books and “housekeeping manuals” from the 18th and 19th centuries have a recipe for Plain Cake. Sometimes it is used as a base for other things, like trifle, but mostly it just sits there on the page between the other more elaborate cakes. Easy to ignore or just flip past. This has been in my repertoire for years, I just rather thought it was too Plain for inclusion on the blog or in a book. But the truth is, there is very much a place in the world for Plain Cake. Delicious and comforting in its very simplicity, it really is just plain good. It tastes like cake. And there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. Sometimes that is exactly what you need. In fact, at this moment in time a simple joy is perhaps what I need most.
This cake is so easy to make, you really can whip it up at a moment’s notice. I almost always have all the ingredients in my kitchen. I know, I know, someone is going to say something about having buttermilk to hand, but I always do. If you don’t, you can use sour cream or make one of those buttermilk substitutes you can find on the internet. Buttermilk creates such a tender crumb in baking, it really is worth using, and with a generous amount of butter, this cake is deliciously, well, buttery. Cake flour definitely adds to the light, open and tender crumb. As an alternative, replace two tablespoons of every cup of all-purpose flour with 2 Tablespoons of cornstarch and sift well. A sprinkling of granulated sugar on top creates a lovely, crackly sweet top. I have served this as dessert, maybe with some fresh fruit, but served it during the day once and everyone called it coffee cake. Your house is going to smell like the best bakery while this is cooking!
Ingredients
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
1 cup granulated sugar, plus 3 Tablespoons
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 Tablespoon vanilla paste or extract
3 large eggs at room temperature
¾ cup buttermilk
2 cups cake flour
¼ cup powdered sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
Directions
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 by 8-inch cake pan with parchment paper.
- Cut the butter into pieces and place it into a large microwave safe mixing bowl. Zap the butter in the microwave until it is completely soft and almost, but not totally melted. I start with 30 seconds, then add 10 until I get there. Whisk the butter until it is all melted and creamy, then add the sugar and whisk for 30 seconds to combined it well. Add the salt and vanilla and whisk for a further 30 seconds. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking to combine after each addition, then whisk it all for a full minute until it is smooth and creamy. Whisk in the buttermilk. Sift in the flour, powdered sugar and baking powder and fold to combine just until there are no streaks of dry ingredients visible. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top into an even layer. Sprinkle 3 Tablespoons of granulated sugar evenly over the top of the batter.
- Bake until the cake is lightly browned, firm and a tester inserted in the center comes out clean, 30 – 40 minutes. Cool in the pan for 15 minutes, then lift out by the parchment paper and cool completely on a wire rack. Cake can be covered tightly and stored on the counter overnight.
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