Recipe Background
How does the Best Buttermilk Cake become the best? The secret is making what seems like simple flavors deep, rich, and tantalizing! The cake may appear like a simple vanilla treat, but that floral goodness is enhanced by both an absurd amount of the rich butter (um, yum) and tangy buttermilk. The icing on top is a buttery, smoky-sweet, and luscious delight, so amazingly complex in flavor it could almost be called butterscotch. The Best Buttermilk Cake impresses from just the appearance it makes while being sliced, and your taste buds will know it's the best in an instant!
How does the Best Buttermilk Cake become the best? The secret is making what seems like simple flavors deep, rich, and tantalizing! The cake may appear like a simple vanilla treat, but that floral goodness is enhanced by both an absurd amount of the rich butter (um, yum) and tangy buttermilk. The icing on top is a buttery, smoky-sweet, and luscious delight, so amazingly complex in flavor it could almost be called butterscotch. The Best Buttermilk Cake impresses from just the appearance it makes while being sliced, and your taste buds will know it's the best in an instant!
Ingredients
For the cake:
- 1 cup butter softened, plus more, to taste, for greasing the pan
- 3 cups all-purpose flour plus more, to taste, for dusting the pan
- 2 1/3 cups sugar
- 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 3 large eggs room temperature
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1 cup buttermilk
For the icing:
- 1/4 cup butter cubed
- 1/2 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/3 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup confectioners' sugar
Directions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
- Using the extra butter, grease a 10-inch fluted tube pan, then using the extra flour, lightly dust the greased pan.
- In a bowl, add 1 cup of the softened butter and the sugar and using an electric handheld mixer, beat until light and fluffy, about 5-7 minutes.
- Add the vanilla to the butter mixture and beat to combine.
- Add the eggs, 1 at a time, to the butter mixture and beat well after each addition.
- In a separate bowl, add the remaining 3 cups of the flour, the baking powder, and the baking soda and whisk to combine.
- Add the flour mixture and buttermilk to the butter mixture, adding each in thirds and alternating between the two, and beating well after each addition. The resulting batter should be thick.
- Transfer the batter to the prepared fluted tube pan.
- Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 45-50 minutes.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- Transfer the cake from the pan to a wire rack and allow it to cool completely, about 1 hour.
- In a small saucepan over medium heat, add the remaining 1/4 cup of the cubed butter, the brown sugar, and the heavy cream and cook, while stirring constantly, until the cream starts to boil.
- Transfer the saucepan from the heat and allow the cream mixture to cool for 5-10 minutes.
- Gradually add the confectioners' sugar to the cream mixture, beating until it is incorporated and smooth.
- Spoon the icing over the cake.
- Slice and serve.
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