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Ruchik Randhap

Food & Memories of Mangalore

Butter Cake – Simply Delicious!!

A post too soon eh? Considering that I’ve been taking my sweet time to post recipes since we welcomed 2012? Well, I’ve decided to get rid of my laziness and at least post all the recipes that have accumulated in my drafts – most of which were tried several times in the last 3-4 months when I was too busy writing the detailed Kuswar posts and didn’t have the energy to post these (plus I was super busy, lazy and sick). Nice and simple recipes that have been tried twice or thrice with positive results and it would be a pity if I don’t share them at the earliest. Since Lent has started on Wednesday I have decided to give up cooking interesting and new dishes – one thing I am most passionate about and maybe I should use this time to clear my drafts.

This particular cake which was highly recommended by my friend Rinku of Kitchen Treats became an instant hit and has been tried thrice already and will be baked many many more times I am sure as this recipe is a keeper. R loves simple cakes – the plain jane variety – no icing, no fuss, no frills and definitely no chocolate! Man! It’s hard to survive with someone who doesn’t like chocolate in anything. No chocolate cakes or brownies for him he says. Just to please me he takes a bite at the most. But I bake chocolate cakes anyways as the little fellow can’t get enough of chocolate. Suits me fine! But thanks to the man and his choice of cakes, I have bookmarked a whole lot of cakes that don’t make use of even a speck of cocoa. I am particularly keen to try out the sponge cakes that are so famous in Mangalorean bakeries. I hope I find a good one that is at least a close contender to the ones I’ve grown up eating if not the perfect one.

The reason why I have made this cake umpteen number of times is because the main ingredient – butter is found in abundance in my kitchen these days. Well, we have kind of switched over to fresh milk from the local dairy instead of the store bought tetra packed milk. I think its a better and wiser choice as it is fresh, wholesome and also leaves me with a whole lot of dairy byproducts. The amount of fresh /heavy cream that I get after pasteurizing the milk is enough to throw me into a tizzy – I not only have home made butter, but also home made buttermilk and ghee these days and the whole process of making each of these items from scratch is enjoyable and satisfying.

As I have mentioned before in some of my posts, its always a headache to find unsalted white butter when a recipe calls for it. Most grocers in my area stock up only salted ‘Amul’ butter and although its not a sin to replace unsalted butter with the salted one, not every recipe will be happy to accommodate my laziness. Unless I am prepared to walk miles to hunt for white butter I usually resort to the Parsi Dairy white butter that is available in Godrej Nature’s basket, however, I am not happy with the quality as it usually tastes and smells slightly rancid which is blasphemous for a butter cake. You simply cannot afford to use poor quality butter in a butter cake can you?

Do make sure you use the best quality ingredients for this cake as there are no other flavours to morph the original buttery taste & texture here. This cake is best eaten warm and fresh out of the oven (wait until the cake is out of the pan though!). If you intend storing it for longer than a day, refrigerate it and pop it in the microwave for 15-20 seconds before serving – this warms up the butter and refreshes the cake immediately.

Anyway, all I can say about this cake is that it has a beeeeautiful texture and a plain, easy and melt-in-the-mouth flavour, almost like, well, butter! Hehe (it’s not called ‘butter’ cake for nothing). The recipe obviously asks for a huge amount of butter (more than the quantity of flour) so its not something you would want to indulge in too often if you are health conscious (although I bet you’d like to!). It’s the kind of cake that can be made for a simple tea party and you can safely assume that everybody will like it and reach out for some more. It’s a perfect accompaniment to a nice hot cup of tea or coffee or plain milk and will appeal to the anti-chocolate league members, toddlers and those looking out for something simple to satiate their sweet tooth.

You can also get creative and take this cake to another level by serving it with some chocolate sauce. I used Hershey’s and it was brilliant. The simplicity of the butter cake teamed with the rich smoothness of the chocolate was amazing (although I am not a huge fan of Hershey’s syrup – next time I must try a different brand). The little boy had a lot of this combo and the big boy just liked it plain – slice after slice.

I have simply halved the ingredients in the recipe below. The measures are perfect if you intend to serve just 3-4 people, but I suggest you make the entire cake if possible as it simply melts in the mouth and you’ll be reaching out for more!

Butter Cake
Preparation time: 15min | Baking time: 30-35min (for below quantity) | Yield : 8-10 medium sized slices


You Need:

  • 100gm/3/4th cup all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder * see notes
  • 100gm sugar * see notes
  • 1/4 tsp salt * see notes
  • 125 gm unsalted butter * see notes
  • 2 eggs at room temperature
  • 2 tbsp milk
  • 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
1. Preheat oven at 180 C for 15mins. Prepare a 8″x4″ loaf pan (* see notes) by either lining it with parchment/butter paper or greasing it well with butter and then dusting it with flour.
Sift the flour, baking powder & salt at least 2-3 times. This helps make the cake all the more fluffy.
2. In a large mixing bowl beat the butter & sugar until pale. Add one egg at a time and beat well.
3. Pour in the vanilla extract and mix till incorporated.
4. Add the flour in 2-3 parts alternating between flour and milk (ie add one part flour to the butter egg mixture and mix well with a spatula.
5. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes or till the skewer inserted comes out clean. My cake was done in exactly 32 minutes.
6. Remove the tin from the oven and place it to cool on a wire rack for 10 minutes. Careful invert the cake on to the wire rack and tap the tin so that the cake slides out easily. Allow to cool completely before cutting it.
7. Serve with a hot cup of tea, coffee or milk or simply enjoy it plain. You can also cut up each slice into chunks and eat it with chocolate sauce poured over it

Notes:
1. The original recipe makes a note of ‘double action baking powder’ – you can use any brand of baking powder in India. Weikfield specially mentions ‘double action’ on the box. Other brands are Bluebird and Bakers which are also double action. Apparently there is a ‘single action’ baking powder that is often used for commercial baking.
2. The original recipe asks for 90gm sugar, however I increased it by another 10 grams as it results in a perfect moderately sweet cake. I used regular granulated sugar and powdered it using a dry mixer jar.
3. If you are using salted butter (like Amul), skip the addition of salt. Most cake recipes that ask for unsalted butter do not ask for salt, but it is always advisable to add a pinch or two as it helps bring out the flavours in the cake.
The original recipe is for the full quantity, I have halved it here. For the full quantity it is advisable to use a 7″x7″ square pan and not a 9″x9″.. A bigger square pan will result in a slightly flatter cake.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  11. I love the look of this – such simple but delicious flavours. I think I take the flavour of butter for granted too often – it deserves to be in the spotlight. Great pictures too. I've always been confused by references to 'double action' baking powder in recipes – I always just use my normal baking powder and hope for the best.

    Reply

  17. Butter, cake, chocolate sauce… whats not to like, girl??! hehehe… just the term butter cake is enough to set most people drooling 🙂 and the pictures do complete justice to the cake!
    would love to try this out, but have to figure out good unsalted butter source first 🙁

    Reply

  20. Shireen, made this on the weekend…came out perfect just like your pics. Thanks for making it look so easy. BTW, am in love with your blog!

    Reply

  22. Hi Shireen,

    Made this cake last weekend. Came out Yummm…We all enjoyed it. I need to make it once again this week on popular demand … Thank u for the recipe.

    Asha Reddy

    Reply

  24. I like my cakes plain too(love cocoa but not cake frosting) and this cake was so simple to make and buttery soft…I had all the ingredients on hand when you posted this recipe, so it was made and finished off the next day itself 🙂 Waiting for your sponge cake recipe… that's another favorite!!

    Reply

  26. hi Shireen,

    truly this is an keeper recipe. super soft, Moist and delicious. just baked it, and half the cake has vanished. 🙂 you have a amazing collection of recipes.

    Reply

  27. hi Shireen,

    truly its a keeper recipe. just baked it now, it turned super soft, moist and delicious. half my cake has vanished in no time. your have a nice collection of recipes. :).

    Reply

  30. @Anonymous: Do you have a microwave with convection or without? If it is with convection then follow the instructions on your microwave manual..the temperature remains the same..maybe u can reduce the heat by 5 degrees. Bake time also u can reduce by 5mins and check if done. This is because microwaves take a little lesser time than regular ovens.

    If you do not have a microwave with convection, then I am sorry I have never worked on a microwave without convection so maybe you'll need to check with the manual.

    Reply

  31. Hi Shireen I tried out this cake, though i didnt have unsalted butter I was tempted to make it as it looked so yummy. I used butter instead n everyone just loved it. It was over in minutes. Also relised the pork bafat which I made on my wedding annv my kids n guest relised every bite.
    Post recipe of how to make unsalted butter at home. Annie

    Reply

  32. Hi Annie, So good to hear that the cake & the pork bafat turned out great! Fantastic news really!! Unsalted butter is nothing but butter without the addition of salt (the Amul butter variety which is available commercially). You can make unsalted butter at home by buying full fat milk from a dairy and boiling it to pasteurise it. Then let the milk cool completely, skim out the cream that settles on top – depending on how much cream u are able to skim, collect for 2-3 days. Then you can simply pulse the cream with a little water in your regular mixer grinder with the juicer attachment. Do this for about 1-2 minutes, the butter and whey separates. Strain the liquid and store the butter to be used on bread or baking!

    Reply

  35. Hi Shireen,

    I tried this cake again, this time with self raising flour(the first time I'd tried it with plain maida, it was fine)…and the top cracked. All purpose flour would be maida, I guess?

    Thanks,
    Lisa

    Reply

  37. Dear Shireen,
    I tried out this cake and it turned out really wonderful.I used slightly salted butter available here in Dubai.I tried many other recipes like Biriyani,Shavio etc.from this blog and were really really wonderful recipes.Keep it up.Tomorrow I want to try out sugarfree butter cake so that my diabetic husband can taste this wonderful cake.Thank you.(Saritha D'Souza,Dubai)

    Reply

  38. Hi Saritha!! Thanks so much for your feedback, good to know that you have tried & liked my recipes, Whenever you try some more next time do click a picture and send it to me at ruchikrandhap@gmail.com , I will be happy to upload it in the Tried & Tested section of my blog and Facebook page as well 🙂 Thanks a lot and good luck with the sugarfree butter cake!

    Reply

  39. Hi Shireen, Its Anita back again, tried your cake recipe, and couldnt wait to slice a piece to try it, vow it was so soft and yummy, simply delicious, my sister from Kuwait told me about your site, and from that day this is the 5th recipe I feel that I have tried,thanks I love trying new dishes,my children like butter chicken, do you have in your collection. thanks once again (Anita-Toronto-Canada)

    Reply

  41. Hello Shireen
    Congratulations on the birth of your little baby girl! And I do hope all is well.
    I did try this recipe and was easy and looked absolutely delightful.. Tasted divine. I wish I had a camera ready, unfortunately by the time I got the camera ready, I had one strip of the cake left.
    Thank you
    Regards
    Reshma

    Reply

  42. @ Reshma: Thanks so much for your compliments on the birth of my baby! Yes, all is well, thank you! So glad to know that you enjoyed the butter cake. Next time, don't forget to click a picture! I'd love to hear more from you. Take care!

    Reply

  46. Hi Shireen,
    Tried butter cake just before an hour and i was forced to comment immediately 🙂 Thank you soooooo much, it was a super hit in my family. Really appreciate your details for all the recipes. Mind blowing site..

    Reply

  47. @ Unknown: Sorry for the delay in responding, you may replace all purpose flour and baking powder with self raising flour!
    @Subha: Thanks so much for your wonderful feedback. So glad to know that this cake was a hit in your home! 🙂

    Reply

  48. Hi Shireen, I find most of the the time that my cakes has an eggy taste and i prefer to follow recpies which calls for 1 egg for each 1 cup of flour. I am planning to make this cake tomorrow. Can u pls advice if using 2 eggs for 3/4 cup of flour can result in a egg taste or not. Thanks in advance.

    Reply

  49. Hi Shireen, I am planning to make this cake tomorrow. From my personal experience, I prefer to follow recipes which calls for 1 egg for each 1 cup of flour. I feel that my cake has an egg taste if i use 2 eggs for each cup of flour. Can you pls advice if using 2 eggs for 3/4 cup of flour will give na egg taste or not. Thanks in advace.

    Reply

  50. Hi Reshma,

    I am not sure I understood your query. This recipe worked perfectly for me and a lot of readers who have tried, tested & liked the butter cake. For me the outcome of the cake was excellent and I don't mind egg taste in cakes. Since I don't know what level of egg taste you can bear, maybe you should try and find out for yourself?

    Reply

  52. hi shireen!
    Me and my husband both mangloreans live in houston and LOVE manglorean food .I didnt know to cook at all but thanx to your wonderful recipes i can cook well now.I tried out your butter cake and i cant tell you how moist,light and flavourful it was.My husband and his friends loved it.Thank you!

    Reply

  53. @ Chitra Ganapathy: I have heard that you can substitute egg with mashed banana or flaxseed powder soaked in warm water. However I have never tried any of these methods for any of my cakes since I don't make many eggless cakes. I am sorry I won't be able to help you with the exact proportion of egg replacement to be used, so maybe you can Google for help.

    @ Reshma: Thank you so much for your lovely feedback and wonderful compliments. I am happy to know that you tried and liked the butter cake and that your hubby and friends loved it too 🙂

    Reply

  54. I spend more time converting measurements. Would be nice if there were a conversion scale linked. In America, I live in an area where the standard scale is still used, not grams Celsius, liters…I would love to find/bookmark a site for recipes such as this as I think I just gained 5lbs looking at it – LOL! I'm thinking this would be perfect for after-school snacks, quick-desserts, maybe even special occasions (double/triple the recipe) for birthdays, weddings…Anyone have suggestions on a reliable source for measuring/temperature conversions? Or maybe get one linked to this site?

    Thank you for sharing!! 🙂

    Reply

  55. @ Denise: Thanks for your suggestion. Maybe you could try joyofbaking.com? It has all the conversions. I will update my recipes with cup measures as and when I revisit the recipes! Happy baking!

    Reply

  56. my cake is in the oven but somewere feel i did something wrong.. the batter was not coming out of the mixing bowl, and it was hard to spread it in the pan! please help…i loved the batter it self.. so yummy, crossing fingers… my cake should b like ur, i used a measuring scale too… hope hope

    Reply

  57. @Justbeanne: Did you add the milk in parts? If you have followed the recipe accurately you should get it right as it has been already been tried and tested by several readers without any problem. Did you double the flour for a bigger recipe and missed to double the milk and liquid ingredients accordingly?

    Reply

  58. Hi Shireen,
    Just baked this cake. But it turned out super buttery. looks like the whole cake is soaked in butter. There is no texture left. Even when the cake was baking butter was oozing out from the sides. I followed the exact measurement given. Can you help me here …i would like to try it again.

    Reply

  59. Hi Bosash,

    I am sorry to hear that! This recipe has worked like a charm so I am sure there could be some error in your measurements. What kind of measuring equipment did you use? Weighing scale or cups? Was the butter melted when you started or was it soft at room temperature? Many people try to microwave cold butter from the fridge and end up with a sludge which is not correct. Secondly, if you have measured flour using a cup – did you sift the flour into it or just pack it with flour? Lastly, did you by any chance intend to double the recipe but missed to double some of the ingredients? In which case the butter would be more and flour would be less leading to mismatched quantities. I really hope you are able to try it out once again and this time it comes out perfectly! Good luck! Do let me know if you need more help!

    Reply

  60. Hi Shireen
    Thanx for such a prompt reply… I used the weighing scale for the ingredients. The eggs and the butter were at room temeprature. I sifted the dry ingredients 2 to 3 times as suggested in the recipe. And i did not double the ingredients. I did precisely what was explained. I wonder what went wrong… Seeing people's response I am sure this recipe works wonder… I will try again.

    Reply

  61. Hi Bosash,

    I am just as puzzled as you are now 🙁 Not sure why the butter oozed out. Weighing is a fool proof method actually – I trust it more than my cups but I give both types of measurements for the sake of my readers. The cake is very moist and melt in the mouth types – so yes, it is buttery after being baked. It does taste heavily of butter. But there is no reason why the butter should ooze out during the baking stage. Please do try it out again and hope it works for you this time! Good luck!

    Reply

  62. Thanks for the luvly recipe i tried and it worked out wonders, tastes so yummy. Have you ever tried a similar variant of this cake with LIME. I had tasted it once when my colleague used to bake while i was in Qatar. But wanted to know if you do have a recipe for that. I hope they use lemon rind or something i am not aware. Please post it if you have.
    Thanks

    Reply

  63. Hi Shireen,

    Greetings from Singapore! Thanks for sharing the Butter Cake recipe, it is simply delicious! I've been looking for an old fashion butter cake without sour cream or buttermilk, I am glad I found it here. Thanks so much!

    cheers,
    ivy

    Reply

  64. @ Unknown: I am not sure which cake you are referring to, but if I come across a recipe I'll surely try and post it

    @ Ivy: Thanks so much for your comment and I am glad that you have reached out to me all the way from Singapore! Hope you like it!

    Reply

  67. I tried and it turned out moist soft and awesome…. thanks … but the colour of the cake wasn't as dark as shown in the pics….rest everything else was perfect…. Thanks Shireen… Six Cheers!!!! merry Christmas to you and ur fly

    Reply

  68. Hey there.. I tried this cake few days back ..added a few chocolate chips too…it was one of the softest cakes by far..beautiful texture ..light and fluffy…my family finished it in straight 2 hrs after i baked it . And ya i baked the double quantity since my tin was bigger . Keep it up 🙂

    Reply

  69. @ Laviena: So glad to know that you liked it! Yes, the colour of the cake is largely dependant on the colour of the egg yolks. If the yolks are pale yellow the colour of the cake will be pale as well. I used eggs that had slightly orange coloured yolks!

    Reply

  74. hi, i use a samsung convection microwave oven.whenever i bake cakes the crust and bottom of the cake doesn't come out in a golden brown colour.is it because of the oven ? does the crust becomes brown only in OTG ? please tell me,would be helpful 🙂

    Reply

  75. @ Durga: Maybe you could try baking for a bit longer, like an additional 5 minutes. Next time try putting it on grill mode for the last 2 minutes till you get a brown upper crust. Sorry, I don't bake anymore in a convection microwave oven so no idea

    Reply

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