Simple Vanilla Butter Cake

Here is a simple recipe for a butter cake that is sturdy enough to hold the weight of fondant yet is not as dense as pound cake ...

8 ounces of unsalted butter .. softened to room temperature

2 cups of sugar

4 whole eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

3 1/2 cups of cake flour

1 Tablespoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups of whole milk

Cream the butter and sugar together for at least 5 minutes in a heavy duty mixer...add the whole eggs one at a time..then add the vanilla extract..

(scraping the bowl is one of the most important steps in the process of making cakes..it is wise to scrape the bowl during the creaming process, as the flour and milk are added and after the batter is completely mixed..)

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt together...(cake flour is bleached which allows the moisture in the batter to be absorbed in a way that creates a tender cake with a tight crumb)

Alternate the flour and milk in three turns starting with the flour and ending with flour..

Prepare your cake pans with parchment and vegetable oil..I do not fill any cake pan more than half way up the side of the pan..so you can simply calculate the number of pans you will need according to the number and size of each layer..

Bake at 350 degrees for 25 - 30 minutes..test with a toothpick and bake longer if needed..

Cool in the pans for at least 15 to 20 minutes...turn out onto a cake board..allow to cool..wrap and refrigerate until completely chilled before splitting and filling...remember to make a dam aroung the rim of the cake when using a filling that may leak out such as preserves or mousse or curds..

Crumb coat your cake and chill well..then finish with Italian meringue buttercream .. chill well again and if you are going to keep your cake in refrigeration overnight...remember to cover the completely chilled cake with plastic wrap right to the cake surface...allow butter cakes to come up to room temperature at least one hour before serving...wedding cakes take a whole lot longer to come up to room temperature.

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