This is a scratch cake recipe that makes a cake comparable to the texture and taste of a box mix….only better. It makes a tender crumb that, when cool, carves easily, and stacks well. It’s versatile too. I use it for my rum cakes, substituting 1/2 cup of rum for half of the milk, bake in a bundt pan, and then brush with a sugar/rum syrup.

Vanilla Butter Cake from The Mermaid Bakery

Ingredients

  • 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
    2 cups sugar
    4 large eggs, at room temperature
    1 Tbls white vinegar + enough milk to make 1 cup, at room temperature
    1 tsp Creme Bouqet or 1 tsp Vanilla
    2 3/4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
    2 1/4 tsp baking powder
    3/4 tsp salt

Instructions

    Preheat oven to 350 degrees, put oven rack into center of oven.

  1. Grease and flour pans (9X13, 3=8″, 2=9″, or 1=10″)
  2. Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Mix the Creme Bouqet or Vanilla into the milk. Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a separate bowl. Add flour to butter/sugar/eggs in two parts, alternating with the milk mixture, beating well after each addition. Divide batter into prepared pans. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of cake comes out clean. Let cool in pans 10 minutes, then remove from pans and cool completely on wire rack.

Vanilla Butter Cake from The Mermaid Bakery, 9.4 out of 10 based on 97 ratings