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Easy Butter Cake Recipe: A Classic Soft and Golden Homemade Cake

Easy Butter Cake Recipe

A classic small butter cake with a tender crumb, golden crust, and delicate vanilla flavor. This recipe makes one 20 cm/8-inch round cake, serving about 8 people.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Cake
  • 140 g Unsalted butter, softened
  • 140 g Caster sugar
  • 3 eggs Large eggs, at room temperature
  • 140 g Self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp Baking powder
  • 1 tsp Vanilla extract
  • 2 tbsp Milk
  • 1 pinch Salt, optional

Method
 

Step-by-Step
  1. Heat the oven to 180°C conventional, 160°C fan, or 350°F. Grease a 20 cm/8-inch round cake pan and line the base with baking paper.
  2. Beat the softened butter and caster sugar until pale, light, and creamy. This usually takes several minutes and helps create a lighter crumb.
  3. Add the room-temperature eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract.
  4. Sift in the self-raising flour and baking powder, then fold gently until nearly combined. Add the milk and fold just until the batter is smooth and fairly thick.
  5. Transfer the batter to the prepared pan and level the surface. Bake for 30–35 minutes, until golden and a skewer inserted in the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
  6. Leave the cake in the pan for about 10 minutes, then turn it out onto a wire rack. Cool completely before slicing or decorating.

Notes

Use room-temperature butter and eggs for the best texture. Cream the butter and sugar thoroughly, but do not overmix after adding the flour. If using salted butter, omit the optional salt. For an American-style flour option, use 140 g all-purpose flour plus 1 1/2 tsp baking powder instead of self-raising flour.