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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.