Description
French Butter Cake is all about simple ingredients transforming into something extraordinary—soft, buttery, and perfectly golden. Follow this version and you’ll have a cake that feels like it came straight from a Parisian bakery, but with the ease of a home bake.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
- 1 ½ cups white sugar
- 4 large eggs, at room temperature
- 2 teaspoons real vanilla extract
- 2 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ cup whole milk or heavy cream
Instructions
- Set your oven to 350°F (175°C). Lightly butter a 9-inch round cake pan and place parchment paper on the bottom so the cake slips out easily later.
- In a large bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until it’s fluffy and pale—about 3–5 minutes using a hand or stand mixer. This step is key for creating a light crumb.
- Add the eggs one by one, mixing thoroughly after each addition so the batter stays smooth and stable.
- Blend in the vanilla extract.
- In another bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add this dry mix into the wet batter, stirring on low speed until just combined.
- Pour in the milk and stir until you get a silky batter. Be careful not to overmix—this cake should stay tender, not tough.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and smooth out the top.
- Bake for 40–50 minutes. You’re looking for a golden surface and a toothpick that comes out mostly clean with just a few crumbs attached.
- Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 10–15 minutes before moving it to a wire rack.
- Once cooled, dust with powdered sugar or slice it plain—either way, it’s a treat.
Notes
- Cold butter won’t cream properly, so always soften it first.
- Watch the bake time closely—overbaking will dry the cake out.
- Skip margarine or low-fat substitutes; they just don’t deliver the same flavor.
- Use parchment to avoid sticky disasters.
- Don’t rush cooling—slicing too soon can cause crumbling.