Mmmm Cake! From Brenda's Canadian Kitchen

This week from Brenda's Canadian Kitchen we have some scrumtious looking cake that is making me very hungry.  I hope you enjoy the post.

Cookbook Sundays - Buttermilk Cake

This recipe comes from the gorgeous cookbook, The Simple Art of Perfect Baking by Flo Braker.  This book is a kitchen classic.  There are recipes for every level of baking in this book, from easy to complex.  I chose to make this buttermilk cake because I like my cakes simple.  My favourite cake is just a white or yellow cake with lots of sweet frosting.  Don't get me wrong, I won't turn away any cake, but my VERY favourite cake is the kind of cake I made for today.

The taste of this cake is phenomenal.  Just by looking at it you can tell it's homemade and not from a box.  My house smelled like a bakery.  I don't ever remember a cake smelling THAT good while it was baking.  And the flavour.  The buttermilk gives this cake a wonderful tender crumb and an old-fashioned flavour.  I've made Flo's white butter cake from this same cookbook many times in the past, and it was my favourite recipe for a white cake.  I think this buttermilk cake is my new favourite recipe.  It's outstanding.

I made this in a 13 x 9 pan.  Again, it's how I like my cakes.  I prefer one layer.  I frosted it with a basic recipe from Rachael Ray but I'm sure everyone has their own favourite frosting recipe.  We really love this particular frosting though, it makes lots and it's sweet and delicious.  I've included the recipe for it below.

This cake was fabulous, everyone loved it and it's already been requested for upcoming birthdays.

Enjoy!

I'm linking this post to Recipe Swap Sundays and Potluck Sunday.

Buttermilk Cake
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2 1/2 cups sifted cake flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/4 tsp. salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar

Position the rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350F.

Butter and flour the pans and line with parchment (I simply used non-stick cooking spray and had no problems).

Sift the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt onto a sheet of parchment and set aside.

Crack the eggs into a small bowl and whisk.

Pour the buttermilk into a liquid measuring cup. Add the vanilla and stir to combine.

Place the butter in the bowl of a stand mixer.  Cream the butter with the paddle on medium speed until it is light in color, clings to the sides of the bowl, and looks satiny (this should take about 30-45 seconds).

At the same speed, add the sugar in a steady stream.   When all of the sugar is added, turn off the machine and scrape the gritty, sandy mixture clinging to the sides into the center of the bowl.  Continue to cream at the same speed for 4-5 minutes, or until the mixture is very light in colour and fluffy in appearance.

With the mixer still on medium speed, add the eggs a tablespoon at a time.  Continue to cream, stopping the mixer and scraping the sides of the bowl at least once until the mixture is fluffy, white and increased in volume (it should look like whipped cream cheese and the graininess should disappear).  Detach the beater and bowl from the mixer.

Add 1/4 of the dry ingredients, sprinkling over the top of the creamed butter.  Fold it in with a rubber spatula, then add 1/3 of the buttermilk mixture.  Repeat, alternating dry and wet ingredients.  With each addition, scrape the sides of the bowl and continue mixing until smooth.

Spoon the batter into two 9-inch round baking pans or one 9 x 13-inch pan.

Bake for 30-35 minutes for the round pans or 35 to 37 for the 9 x 13 pan, or until the baked surface springs back slightly when touched lightly in the center and the sides begin to contract from the pan.

Place the cake pans on racks and cool for 5-10 minutes before removing cakes from the pans.  Cool cake completely before frosting.

Makes 1 9-inch layer or 1 13 x 9-inch cake.

Source:  The Simple Art of Perfect Baking by Flo Braker

Vanilla Frosting
2 1/2 sticks butter (1 1/4 cups)
5 cups icing sugar
1 T vanilla
1-2 T milk

In a large bowl, using a mixer, beat the butter on medium speed until creamy, about 1 minute. Add the icing sugar, 1 cup at a time, beating until smooth after each addition. Add the vanilla and 1 tablespoon milk. Beat at high speed until fluffy, adding an additional 1 tablespoon milk if necessary.

Source:  Every Day With Rachael Ray - May 2008