Butter Cake Recipe

This moist and light vanilla butter cake could be iced, dusted with icing sugar or served plain.

We measure the sour cream and milk and leave them, and the eggs, to stand at room temperature while the butter softens. If your oven cooks unevenly, rotate the cake half way through the baking time to promote even browning.

Preparation time: about 35 minutes (excludes baking time)

Serves about 8-10.

225g (1 1/2 cups) self-raising flour
75g (1/2 cup) plain flour
150g butter, chopped and softened (if using unsalted butter, add 1/4 teaspoon fine table salt with the butter)
226g (1 cup) caster sugar (superfine sugar)
1 1/2 teaspoons (7.5ml) vanilla extract
3 large eggs (we use eggs with a minimum weight of 59g)
83g (1/3 cup) sour cream (about 35 percent fat)
166ml (2/3 cup) milk

Preheat oven to 150 degrees Celsius (140 degrees Celsius fan-forced). If you are not using a fan-forced oven, adjust the oven rack to the lower half of the oven so that the top of the cake will be in the centre of the oven.

Grease the side and base of a 20cm diameter (top inside measurement) round cake pan. We use a springform pan for easy removal of the cake. Line base and side of the pan with non-stick baking paper.

Combine self-raising flour and plain flour in a medium bowl and set aside.

Using an electric mixer or electric hand-held beaters on low speed, beat the butter, sugar and vanilla together in a large bowl.

Increase speed to medium once the sugar is incorporated. Stop the machine once or twice during beating to scrape down the side and base of the bowl with a spatula. Beat the mixture until it is pale and creamy (about five minutes).


Don't rush the addition of the eggs as the mixture will be more likely to separate and develop a curdled appearance. Add the first egg to the butter mixture and beat on medium speed for about one minute. Repeat with the second egg. Stop the machine and scrape down the side and base of the bowl. Add the remaining egg, beating on medium speed for about one minute. © exclusivelyfood.com.au

Add the sour cream and beat until just combined (about 10 seconds). Scrape down the side and base of the bowl.

Sift half the combined flours over the butter mixture. Add half the milk and, with the machine on very low speed, beat for about 10 seconds until just incorporated. Scrape down the side of the bowl. Add the remaining milk and sift in the remaining flour and beat, on very low speed, for 5-10 seconds to combine the ingredients. Stop beating as soon as the ingredients are combined as over-beating the mixture may cause the cake to be tough.

Spoon mixture into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon.

Bake for about 1 hour and 7 minutes to 1 hour and 17 minutes, or until a thin-bladed knife or wooden skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. The cake should be golden brown and spring back when lightly pressed in the centre.

Place pan on a wire rack. When cake has completely cooled, remove from pan.

Store cake in an airtight container. © www.exclusivelyfood.com.au

Below: Butter cake dusted with icing sugar.