Butter Cake



Ingredients 

  • 180 g salted butter, softened and cut into small pieces 
  • 30 g caster sugar
  • 45 g egg yolks 
  • ¾ tsp vanilla extract
  • 150 g self-raising flour, sifted
  • 45 ml full-fat fresh milk
  • 105 g egg whites
  • 70 g caster sugar

Directions

  • Preheat oven to 160°C. Line bottom and sides of 15 x 15 x 5 cm cake pan with parchment paper. 
  • Cream butter and 30 g sugar till pale and fluffy, scraping sides and bottom of mixing bowl as necessary. Add egg yolks 1 at a time, plus vanilla extract with the last yolk. Beat thoroughly 
  • after each addition till whisk leaves distinct trail. Scrape down thoroughly.

  • Re-sift 1/4 of sifted flour into butter mixture. Fold with spatula till just even. Re-sift another 1/4 into mixture. Again, fold till just even, scraping down as necessary to ensure even mixing. Add milk in 2 batches, folding till just fully absorbed after each addition. Re-sift and fold remaining half of flour into mixture in 2 batches as before.
  • In a separate mixing bowl, whisk egg whites till thick. Continue whisking whilst gradually 
  • adding 70 g sugar, till egg whites form stiff peaks.
  • Fold egg whites into flour mixture in 3 batches, scraping down as necessary to ensure even mixing.
  • Bang mixing bowl against worktop 2-3 times to remove big air bubbles.
  • Scrape batter into cake pan. Spread evenly and smooth top. Bang cake pan against worktop 2-3 times to remove gaps between batter and pan.
  • Bake cake in bottom of oven till batter doesn’t jiggle when shaken, about 35 minutes. Increase temperature to 180°C. Continue baking till inserted skewer comes out clean and cake is evenly golden brown, another 10 minutes or so.
  • Remove cake from oven. Leave on wire rack to cool down. Cake may be unmoulded once dome has subsided and top has flattened.
  • Leftovers may be refrigerated, tightly wrapped. Reheat in oven, wrapped in foil, till warmed through and fluffy soft.