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Mrs Ng Old Fashioned Butter Cake
This butter cake may be old-fashioned and traditional, but you will want to bake this rich and buttery cake again and again because they are so good.
Butter cake is like a blank canvas. It tastes great when well made, and it can be dressed up with a simple whipped cream, fresh berries, your favorite fruit preserves, and all the way to frosting if need be.
This Mrs. Ng version is a good one and has been shared around.
I played with the original recipe a bit so I can adapt it to use only all-purpose flour instead of self-raising flour. So I present to you my version of Mrs. Ng old fashioned butter cake.
Very simple ingredients and tools
Ingredients
If you bake at all, then you will notice my recipe for this butter cake calls for very basic ingredients. You need all-purpose flour, baking powder, salt, sugar, egg, butter, milk, and vanilla. Easy right?
For the egg yolk batter, you will need:
- 180 gram (~ 1 1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 stick (16 tablespoon/230 gram) unsalted butter, softened at room temperature (not melted!)
- 150 gram sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 egg yolks, from large-size eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
And for the egg white batter (meringue), you will need:
- 4 egg whites, from large-size eggs
- 50 gram sugar
Can I use self-rising flour and salted butter?
If you want to use self-rising flour AND salted butter, replace the first four ingredients for the egg yolk batter with:
- 200 gram (~ 1 3/4 cup) self-rising flour
- 2 stick (16 tablespoon/230 gram) salted butter
Can I use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour?
Yes, you can use cake flour too. The texture of your cake will be lighter and slightly closer to a sponge cake instead of a butter cake. It will still be delicious.
Tools
And as for tools, an electric mixer helps tremendously. Even after so many years of baking, I only own a hand-held electric mixer, so never ever be discourage from baking and assume you need an expensive stand mixer to create marvelous and delicious baked goods.
Step-by-step to prepare the cake batter
1. Egg yolk batter
Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and 150-gram sugar until pale and fluffy with medium speed. It usually takes about 7-8 minutes.
Add vanilla extract and egg yolks, one at a time, and beat well with each addition. Usually around 30 seconds per egg yolk.
Next, lower the speed. I usually set the speed to the lowest setting. Alternatively, add half of flour and half of milk, beat well with each addition, until all flour and milk are incorporated. Stop immediately once all the flour is incorporated and you no longer see streaks of flour. We don’t want to over-cream the batter.
2. Egg white batter
In another large mixing bowl, whisk egg whites until foamy, then add 50-gram sugar in 3 batches. Continue whisking until stiff peak.
3. Combine both batters
Fold the egg white into egg yolk batter in 3 batches with a spatula. Be extra gentle so you don’t destroy all the air bubbles from the egg whites.
Now the cake batter is ready. Pour into a prepared cake pan and bake in the preheated oven.
To line or not to line the cake pan
I always line my cake pan with parchment paper since it helps tremendously when removing the cake from the pan.
If you don’t want to line the entire pan, I highly recommend lining just the base of the pan and grease the sides well.
The last thing any baker wants is to get a super pretty cake in the pan, and then the cake becomes not so pretty simply because it sticks to the pan!
Serving the cake: simple is best
So how do I enjoy my old fashioned butter cake? Why plain of course! With a cup of a very strong black coffee, thank you.
When I was still a little kid, our birthday cakes are usually a butter cake, sliced in two halves, and dressed with buttercream frosting. So if you want to go that route and bake a birthday cake for someone, I am sure it will be well received :)
Creating new flavors based on this basic butter cake
1. Pandan butter cake
If you love pandan and have access to fresh/frozen pandan leaves, you may want to try my pandan coconut butter cake recipe. It is also a butter cake but using real pandan extract and bake with a water bath method. It has a pretty natural green color and has a strong fragrance of pandan and coconut.
2. Orange butter cake
For an orange-flavored butter cake, use 1⁄4 cup of orange juice instead of 1⁄4 cup of milk and the zest of 1 orange instead of 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract. Additionally, add a teaspoon of orange extract or 1⁄8 teaspoon of orange oil for an intense orange cake.
3. Chocolate butter cake
For a chocolate butter cake, remove 30 grams from 180 grams of all-purpose flour and replace it with 30 grams of cocoa powder and use 17 tablespoons/250 grams of unsalted butter instead of 16 tablespoons/230 grams. Optionally, add a teaspoon of espresso powder to amplify the intensity of the chocolate flavor.
4. Coffee butter cake
For a coffee butter cake, mix a tablespoon of instant coffee powder with a tablespoon of hot milk/hot water to create a paste and mix it with the 1⁄4 cup of milk from the original recipe. Optionally, add a teaspoon of espresso powder to amp up the coffee flavor.
5. Marble butter cake
For a marble butter cake, use 17 tablespoons/250 grams of unsalted butter instead of 16 tablespoons/230 grams for the egg yolk batter. Transfer 1/3 portion of the egg yolk batter to a separate mixing bowl, and add 10 grams of cocoa powder and stir/fold.
Prepare the egg white batter as is, but fold 1/3 portion of egg white batter to the chocolate batter, and the remaining 2/3 portion of egg white batter to the plain (original) batter. Pour these two batters into your cake pan to create a marble pattern.
Troubleshooting tips
1. Help! My cake is dense, greasy, heavy, and/or soggy.
Please make sure that the butter is soft and at room temperature. You should be able to make an indentation on the butter with your finger and it will hold its shape.
If you can’t make an indentation, the butter is still too cold/hard. If the indentation loses its shape or even become runny, the butter is too warm/soft.
Butter that is too cold/hard won’t capture enough air when you beat it with sugar resulting in a dense and heavy cake. On the other hand, butter that is too warm/soft won’t be able to hold on to the air when you beat it with sugar and the cake will become heavy, greasy, and soggy.
2. Help! My cake is almost perfect but it has some dense gluey spots/streaks in several places.
This is most likely due to over-creaming the batter. Please set your mixer to medium speed when you beat together sugar, butter, and eggs. Then set it to a slower speed, or use a spatula, when you start adding flour to the batter.
Also, be sure to immediately stop mixing once you no longer see flour streaks. Even after you set the speed to low, or using a spatula to add the flour, you can still risk over-mixing and end up with a cake with gluey streaks.
3. Help! My cake was perfect when it just came out from the oven, but the edges shrunk once it cooled down.
If the cake is perfect in the oven and only starts to shrink around the edges after cooling it, you are probably cooling the cake in its pan for too long before removing.
The pan retains the heat from the oven, and this heat bakes the sides further and causes them to shrink. It is best to cool the cake for only 10-15 minutes in the pan before gently removing it from the pan and cool completely on a wire rack afterward.
Mrs Ng Old Fashioned Butter Cake
Ingredients
- Egg yolk batter
- 180 gram (~ 1 1/2 cup) all-purpose flour
- 2 teaspoon baking powder
- 3/4 teaspoon salt
- 2 stick (16 tablespoon / ~ 230 gram) unsalted butter, softened
- 150 gram sugar
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 4 egg yolks, from large-size eggs
- 1/4 cup milk
- Egg white batter (meringue)
- 4 egg whites, from large-size eggs
- 50 gram sugar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 180 Celsius (350 Fahrenheit). Line an 8"x8" square cake pan with parchment paper and set aside.
- Prepare egg yolk batter:Whisk together all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and 150 gram sugar until pale and fluffy with a medium speed. Add vanilla extract and egg yolks, one at a time, and beat well with each addition. Next, lower the speed, alternatively add half of flour and half of milk, beat well with each addition, until all flour and milk is incorporated. Stop once all the flour is incorporated and you no longer see streaks of flour. We don't want to over-cream the batter.
- Prepare egg white batter: In another large mixing bowl, whisk egg whites until foamy, then add 50 gram sugar in 3 batches. Continue whisking until stiff peak.
- Combine cake batter: Fold the egg white into egg yolk batter in 3 batches with a spatula. Be extra gentle so you don't destroy all the air bubbles from the egg whites.
- Pour the batter into prepared cake pan, and bake in preheated oven for 45 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.
- Remove cake from oven and let it rest in the pan for 10 minutes, then gently remove the cake from pan (this is why a parchment paper helps immensely and ensuring the cake remains intact!) and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
- Once the cake cools to almost room temperature, cut into 16 serving slices.
Comments
Hi Anita. If I want to do double recipe, what is the temperature? How long do I have to cook it? Also is it ok if I use different kind of baking pan? Thank you
Hi Clarissa, if you want to double the recipe, you can either use two 8" square pans, or one 9"x13" rectangular pan. I have never tried doubling this particular cake, but when I do double other cakes, if the thickness of the cake is kept roughly the same (which is the case if you use two 8"x8" pans, or one 9"x13" pan), I start by keeping the same temperature and the same baking time. Then check from there. Most of the time, the total baking time will be the same! And only very very rarely I need to add more time, and even then, never more than 10 minutes from the original time for the single batch. But....just a really quick disclaimer, I haven't tried with this particular recipe yet, I hope my previous experience is correct, but I cannot guarantee.
I tried the 9x12 and doubling the batch. It did not cook in the middle. Definitely too much! One batch should be enough!
Hi anita, i would like to know if fan assisted, top and bottom heat element were used to bake this cake? If no, what temp will be right for a fan assisted oven? Tq
Hi Priya, I use a normal oven without any fan, so I cannot say what temperature and for how long the cake needs to be bake in a fan assisted oven. I am sorry if I can't help. If other readers have experience baking this particular cake in a fan assisted oven, please share your experience.
tq for your reply :)
If you are using a fan-assisted oven, decrease your oven temperature by 20 degree Celcius. I do this all the time . So far, it has been working well for me.
This looks simple to make but so tasty. I will have to bake this soon.
Old fashioned cakes are usually the best. This looks so tender, fluffy and moist.
Agreed. And the best part is old-fashioned recipes are usually tried and tested and is definitely going to be a crowd favorite. :)
I've recently rediscovered the simplistic joy of butter cake, so this is great timing. And I love my stand mixer, but I've been using my hand mixer lately since it's SO much easier to clean!
Definitely know what you mean Luci. For most baking, I find that hand mixer is more than enough to handle the job. I sold my stand mixer a while ago and still don't feel the need to buy one. :)
What a great cake! This looks so moist and delicious! Yum!
This cake must be so moist and fluffy, love using butter in my cakes.
Just made this cake and it’s so moist and lovely. Added slightly more butter in mine. Then make butter icing with it. I’ll make this again.
Thanks for the feedback, Irene. I like my butter cake plain, but I can see adding icing will make the cake even more special. :)
Tried this today and it was delicious!
I love that you made this with all purpose flour because I never have self rising on hand! Such a delicious recipe!
I made this last night and my boyfriend declared this to be his new favourite cake. Great recipe, will be making it again for sure!
I've always been looking out for a good simple butter cake recipe and this one looks perfect. Love that beautiful texture it has. I'm sure its moist too
I love a good butter cake and this one is perfection! The flavors and textures are spot on! Thanks so much for sharing.
This is such a lovely cake, I made it yesterday and everyone loved it! Thank you for the recipe.
I’ve been trying few recipe of butter cakes but this one is perfect! Thank you for sharing the recipe.
Hi there, may I Asked why is my top portion Crack n brown easily instead of like yours so pretty ? But I’ve to admit mine look not very nice but taste so yummy lol. I am using Fan mode.
Hi Jenny, my oven is a regular one without fan. I read that it is recommended to reduce the temperature by 15 Celsius (or 25 Fahrenheit) when using an oven with a fan. That could be the culprit why your cake cracks, though like you said, it should still be very yummy even with some crackings. :)
I have melted butter sank at the bottom of my butter. Please advise.
Hi Wensy, my best guess is you may have over-creamed your batter. Especially for step 3 when creaming butter, sugar, and egg yolks, it is best to use at most a medium speed until everything is well mixed. Then when you add the flour and milk (also step 3), lower the speed slightly so it is less than a medium. I hope this helps.
Hi Anita, I do not have all purpose flour, can I use plain flour? Thanks.
Hi Chian, yes. I think plain flour is the same as all-purpose flour.
Hi Anita, Does the size and weight of eggs matters? I would like to know what is the weight of each egg you used? In Malaysia, it's 60gm for grade A size, use for baking. 50gm is for grade B. Thanks
Hi Merrie, for baking I usually use US large size eggs. It's around 2.125 oz (60 gram) per egg, so it's similar to Malaysia's grade A eggs. :)
Hi Anita,
Thanks for your reply. I tried the recipe yesterday with a convention oven. The cake is delicious, texture is rich and soft.
Just the top look a bit burn but inside was perfect.
Thanks for sharing the recipe! 😋
Followed the recipe and I think I over-creamed the batter too. However, the taste is perfect. Is a seller...
Can I reduce the sugar in this recipes? Anyone has try reducing the sugar?
Hi Jennifer, I have tried baking this cake with a total of 175 gram sugar successfully in the past, so you can definitely reduce the sugar a little. Try using 125 grams of sugar at step 3, and keep the 50 grams of sugar at step 4. Happy baking. :)
I love the simple recipe and the fact that you're using natural plain old butter. I bet the taste is amazing! ... childhood memories :-)
This cake sounds really good. I have some all purpose flour to use as well, so this is perfect!
This is incredible. Perfectly moist and delicious - thank you!
This looks so delicious and moist. I'm a big fan of old-fashioned butter cake!
This cake looks moist and delicious.Perfect timing to try this Easter.
I am unable to get the same results. The first time I baked i followed the 45mins guideline but it was not cooked (it was sticking at the base) so I ended up putting into the oven twice for 10-15 mins each. Then the 2nd time I tried it was better as in it’s more cooked and didn’t stick to the base (it was inside for 1.10 mins). However the texture was very different from your pic. I am not sure what went wrong. Is it because I used biscuit flour and salted butter instead of self-raising flour and salted butter?? Coz only the top part looked like a cake. The middle part looked uncooked like my 1st attempt.
Hi Denise, sorry it doesn't work out for you. I always use all-purpose flour for this recipe. I am not sure what biscuit flour is, and I don't know how different that is compared to all-purpose, so that may indeed be the culprit.
If you stock self raising flour and salted butter, you can use 200 gram self raising flour and 230 gram (2 sticks) of salted butter instead of 180 gram all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoon baking powder, 3/4 teaspoon salt, and 2 stick (16 tablespoon / ~ 230 gram) unsalted butter. Basically replacing the first 4 ingredients with self raising flour and salted butter. The rest of the ingredients should be the same. The steps should be the same too. I hope this will work out if you do give it another try.
This is the most delicious butter cake that I have ever baked. In fact, it tastes more like butter sponge cake. So soft and fluffy. This is my first time trying out this recipe and it turns out really well. Thank you so much for sharing this wonderful recipe.
Tried this recipe yesterday, my husband who doesnt really fancy cake, took 3 helpings!
Thank you for sharing it, i will definitely use your recipe again.
PS- I baked at 180deg for 30 minutes in an oven that doesnt have the top/lower heat settings. Turned out a very pretty color.
hi! i tried this cake and it turned out moist and fragrant. but very crumbly. any idea why it would be like that?
Hi Rachel, when a cake is too crumbly, the biggest suspect is usually wrong measurement of ingredients. Did you use a scale to measure or do you use a cup? A cup/volume measurement for flour may lead to too much flour used, sometimes even a margin error of up to 50% more flour. Another possible suspect is egg size. I use large-size eggs for all my recipes. If your egg is medium or small, that could make the batter to have less liquid and end up with a crumblier cake.
Tried this 2 days ago. A little crumbly. Maybe cause I adjusted on the number of eggs. The ones I used were small. Otherwise, it was perfect. So moist and soft.
Thanks for giving the recipe a try, JC. Indeed using small-size eggs can make the cake a little crumbly, so please use large-size eggs if you bake this cake again in the future. :)
HIE .. my oven is top and lower heat .. do I use both 180 celcius ? And can I use 2 x loaf pan for this recipe ? Thanks
Hi Jynnie, please use only the bottom heat, and the cake pan should be placed on the middle rack. An 8x8x2 cake pan has a volume of 8 cups and an 8x4 loaf pan has a volume of 4 cups, so you should be able to divide the batter into two 8x4 loaf pans.
I haven't tried baking this in two loaf pans, but since the height of the cake should end up the same, I would say you will need the same amount of time to fully bake the cake in the two loaf pans.
Thanks, Anita. After reading the comments from your followers, I learnt a few tips here and there. My cake turns out beautiful.
Thank u for the recipe and guidance ..my friends love them ..
And I’m so happy as my first attempt in baking with recipe from YouTube failed
And when I found this recipe my instinct was to follow this and it is superb
Thank u so much. my spirit is lifted up again for baking thanks to u
Hi hi, can I use brown sugar instead of white sugar and salted butter instead of unsalted?
You can use salted butter, but please reduce the salt from 3/4 teaspoon to 1/4 teaspoon. You can also use brown sugar, but the cake's color probably will become brown instead of yellow.
We made this for Mother’s Day as requested by my mum and it was beautiful and delicious! Thank you so much for sharing your recipe and making my mum happy!
The best butter cake ever. Love the buttery taste and moist. Steps are scaffolded so quite easy to follow even for a beginner like me. Thank you Anita for this generous and rich butter cake recipe.
Hi Anita, I don’t have vanilla extract , is it a must to put vanilla extract? Thanks
Hi Siewli, it's not a must but it's the most familiar taste we all have for a basic cake. If you don't use vanilla, the cake will basically taste of butter and sweetened egg, which isn't too bad. If you don't have any vanilla extract, be extra sure to use high quality butter since that will be the flavor of your cake. Alternatively, you can try substituting vanilla extract with equal amount of maple syrup/almond extract, or double amount of rum/brandy.
This was a fantastic recipe .... I’ve already tried out this recipe for more than 4-5 times .... the flavors are extraordinary and really easy to bake ...would definitely recommend this recipe
Made this cake last weekend. Forgotten how good a butter cake can be! Moist and fluffy! Will definitely use this recipe again next time I make butter cake. Thanks! :)
Hi am not familiar to whisking egg whites, is there a huge difference if I just add the eggs one by one instead of separating? Thanks
Hi Elizabeth, the biggest difference would be in how airy and light the end result will be. If you separately whisk the egg white and then later folding it into the egg yolk batter, the cake will be so much lighter compared to if you just add eggs one by one.
Hi... Is it okay to use icing sugar for this recipe?
Hi Riya, it should be fine. Instead of 150 gram sugar, simply use 150 gram icing sugar (same weight).
Hi I tried the pandan version and it turned out superb. Can I use the water bath method for this recipe too? Thanks
Hi Rita, yes you can. Please follow the oven temperature and baking time from the pandan butter cake if you want to use the water bath method.
Hi Is there a way to add coffee to this recipe ? Thanks
Hi Rita, you can mix 1 tablespoon of instant coffee powder with 1 tablespoon of hot milk/hot water into a paste. Let this paste cool slightly, then combine together with the 1/4 cup milk from the original recipe. Follow the rest of the recipe as is, but instead of regular milk, now you have coffee milk.
Also, to increase coffee flavor, on top of the 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, you can add 1/2 teaspoon of instant espresso powder too. This should really help turn the cake into a coffee flavored butter cake.
Hi, I have already tried your butter cake recipe but I added some choc chips and almond nibs into the egg yolk batter and it turned out so moist, fluffy & delicious! I will definitely use this recipe again.
May I know how long the cake can keep in a room temperature after baking?
Hi Grace, the cake should be fine for 2 days at room temperature (store in an airtight container). For longer storage, you can store it in the fridge for up to 1 week. For an even longer storage, wrap the cake with 2-3 layers of saran plastic and store in the fridge for up to 3 months. Always allow the cake to cool completely before storing.
I don't have 8x8 square pan, but only 9x9 or 7x7. What is the recommended baking temperature and time?
For 9x9, try 190 Celsius (375 Fahrenheit) and bake for 35 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. For 7x7, try 165 Celsius (325 Fahrenheit) and bake for 60 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean. If you go with the 7x7, please make sure the height of the pan is 3" and not 2" or it will overflow.
Hi Anita, I've made your butter cake a few times already, and it has excellent texture, moist and taste yummy! Everyone loves the taste. Thanks for sharing the recipe. 😊 How to make a variation of - orange butter cake with orange juice and zest? With the same texture and excellent taste. Can I replace the milk with the juice and zest? Or should I follow the pandan butter cake recipe and baking method? Thanks Anita 😊
Hi Merrie, please do the following for the orange version. Replace 1/4 cup milk with 1/4 cup orange juice. Replace 1 teaspoon vanilla extract with zest of 1 orange. If you have orange extract or orange oil, you can add that too. I will use 1 teaspoon of orange extract or 1/8 teaspoon of orange oil. For the baking time and method, you can follow this recipe. If you want to use water bath method, please follow the recipe for pandan butter cake. Both methods should work out fine. :)
I've baked this cake and it turned out so wonderful. Thank you. I would like to make it again, but using two 8" round pans, to make a layer cake. Do I use the same amount of ingredients?
Hi Shaniz, if you want to use the same amount of ingredients and baking time, I believe you will need two 6-inch round pans. If my math is not wrong, you will need to use 1.5x everything for two 8-inch round pans. The baking time and temperature should be the same for whichever one you choose.
Hi Anita, You mentioned that can use cake flour so do I use 180gm cake flour with 2t baking powder. Thanks.
Hi Maria, yes. Simply replace all-purpose flour with cake flour and keep everything else the same.
Hi Anita, I don’t bake & this is the 1st time I tried doing it. The butter cake is awesome! The texture, the taste, the look, the smell.... EVERYTHING! Husband & daughter who will usually say no to cakes also ended up eating. I have a question though.. if I would like to bake a smaller cake, can I just half all the ingredients? If yes, what about the baking time?
Hi Janet, thanks for the rave review! If you want to bake just half the portion, it is better if you use a smaller pan. Try using an 8"x4" loaf pan with the same temperature. I believe the total baking time should end up very close to the full recipe (45 minutes).
hi, can recommend which brand of butter we should use for this recipe?
Hi Shan, I use standard grocery store unsalted butter. When I want something more special, I use Kerrygold or Plugra or other European butter. If you are in Asia, I think you should be able to use Anchor.
Hello Anita! Thank you for the shared recipe on the butter cake. Am deeply grateful for the clear instructions and useful tips shared! Made the butter cake over the weekend and the cake has the right balance of buttery and sweetness! God bless! :))
Hi.i did try out the cake turned out well even the texture but just that the sides got a bit shrunk. Can you advice me on that? Other than that it looks yummy 😋 as well as the taste
Hi Jeyarani, there are many factors that cause a cake's edges to shrink. It could be the pan was greased too much, or the batter was over-mixed, or the cake was baked too long and/or the oven temperature was too hot. Can you confirm that you were baking in a traditional oven and not a convection oven? The time and temperature in the recipe is for a traditional oven.
I had tried this recipe and it so delicious.i had repeated a few time but i had reduced the sugar because it quiet sweet...overall,i love it so much.Not even me,my mom always request me to bake this cake since she is one of the buttercake lover.she likes it so much.Thanks Anita for the marvelous cake.
Great recipe! The cake turned out soft and moist with the right amount of butter flavour. It wasn't too oily either. I divided the cake in to 4 and shared with some family members; all finished in a day! Safe to say, I would use this recipe again if needed. :D
Hi Anita, Can I use machine to whisk egg white till stiff peak.
Hi Khunnie, you can certainly use an electric mixer to whisk the egg whites. :)
May I know if I can use a 9 inch round pan instead as I do not have a square pan.
Hi Nana, a 9-inch round pan is a perfect substitute for an 8-inch square pan.
Hi Anita! Just wondering if substituting with Wheat flour would make any difference? Only coz thats what I have at hand now 😅 will act on your advise, thank you!!
Hi Luna, I haven't tried with whole wheat flour to bake this butter cake. My guess is you will still be able to bake the cake, but it will be so much denser and the crumbs will be so much tighter than using all-purpose flour. If you have cake flour, I would suggest using cake flour instead of whole wheat flour, or even go with 50% cake flour and 50% whole wheat flour.
This is my first time baking a butter cake.. I just tried the recipe (using 9 inch round pan) out today with 110g of sugar for the egg yolk batter and it turns out fantastic! Thank you soooo much for the awesomely easy recipe. Am thinking of using this basic recipe for marble cake. Do you have any advise for marble cake?
For a marble butter cake, use 17 tablespoons/250 grams of unsalted butter instead of 16 tablespoons/230 grams for the egg yolk batter. Transfer 1/3 portion of the egg yolk batter to a separate mixing bowl, and add 10 grams of cocoa powder and stir/fold. Prepare the egg white batter as is, but fold 1/3 portion of egg white batter to the chocolate batter, and the remaining 2/3 portion of egg white batter to the plain (original) batter. Pour these two batters into your cake pan to create a marble pattern and bake using the same temperature and time.
Cool! Will try this out and update. Thank you for the recipe.
Hi Anita, I finally find time to try out the marble cake. Let me tell everyone here.. This is like a fail-proof recipe. It never fail on me and it always taste sooo yummy. Next I would like to try making it into cupcakes. If I were to use paper muffin cups instead. What temp and time do you think I should bake with?
Thank you for your lovely feedback, Nana. I haven't baked these into cupcakes, but from my previous baking experience, it should take about 25-30 minutes in a standard muffin pan at the same temperature.
Hi Anita, I've made this orange butter cake last weekend by replacing the milk with fresh orange juice and orange zest. It taste good with natural orange flavor. Thanks for the advice, Anita :)
I couldn’t mix the meringue into the batter. The meringue seems separated from the batter even I tried to mix well. Why is this so?
Hi Sarah, did you mix the meringue in three batches, or did you try to do it in one batch? For the best result, please add the meringue to the egg yolk batter in three steps. First, add only 1/3 of the meringue and fold that into the egg yolk batter until fully incorporated. This step usually takes the longest time since the egg-yolk batter is still very thick. Then add another 1/3 of the meringue and fold until well-mixed, then the remaining 1/3 of the meringue and repeat.
Hi Anita If I want to add durian puree and small pieces of durian, how much can I add? Thanks for sharing! I cant wait to try!
Oh my, durian sounds totally delicious. I haven't tried it, but here is my best guess. For the egg-yolk batter, replace 1/4 cup milk with 3/4 cup durian puree and omit the vanilla should probably work. Beat the butter and sugar first, then add egg yolks, then add durian puree, and finally add the flour. Keep everything else the same. Again, full disclaimer, I haven't tried this at all, so proceed with caution. :)
Hi Anita, sorry another question. Can this fit a 7 x 7 “ cake pan?
You can, but make sure the 7x7 inch pan has a 3-inch depth to prevent overflow. Also, your baking time will be longer. You will need to bake the cake for about 1 hour. Please keep a closer look at your cake while baking, especially the final 15 minutes. If the top of the cake is browning too fast, cut a piece of aluminum foil and cover the pan with it to tent the cake.
Hi Anita, if I double the recipe, can I use 11" x 11" pan instead?
Hi Livia, if my Math is correct, you should be able to double the recipe with an 11x11-inch pan, but I haven't tried it myself. Please share how it goes if you decide to give it a try. :)
Hi Anita I tried this recipe and the cake’s texture was perfect and was so moist too. The only thing was the taste, it tasted too eggy that my family thought it was kuih bahulu.... was the butter cake supposed to taste that way? In my opinion, the egg overpowered the butter. Barely tasted it. Should I cut down the eggs during my next try?
Hi Elaine, please don't reduce the number of eggs for next try. Instead, try adding another teaspoon of vanilla. :)
Greetings Anita,
Planning to bake for kids party. Could you advise how long to bake in grease-proof cupcake liner that fills 60gm batter? Using fan-assisted oven?
Wanna use nutella for marble cake recipe, how much to add to the ⅓ batter? Should I reduce sugar to 130gm egg yolk batter + 50gm for meringue since Nutella already sweet by itself?
Many thanks for all the sharing👍👍🤗
Hi Polly, I have never owned a fan assisted oven, so I can't be sure how long you will need. In a regular oven, it should take 20-25 minutes for a standard size muffin pan, or 12-15 minutes for a mini muffin pan. I think you will only need about 3 tablespoons of Nutella. And yes, I will reduce the sugar to 125-130 gram to the egg yolks batter. :)
Hi Anita, I would like to bake with 8" round pan. How long and what temperature should I use? Thanks.
Hi Selvii, if you want to use an 8-inch round pan, make sure it has a depth of 3 inches and not 2 inches or the cake will overflow. You can use the same temperature and the baking time should be closer to 1 hour instead of 45 minutes. You possibly also want to tent the cake for the final 15 minutes so the top doesn't brown too much.
Hi Anita, Would need your advise - I tried baking this recipe twice but I found the top of the cake to be abit chewy. And the bottom of the cake to be very oily. Not sure what I’m doing wrong - love the taste of the cake, but need help to get it to the right texture. Thanks
Hi Kellie, usually cake becomes chewy when you mix the flour too much and the gluten develops. Try to either use the lowest speed setting, or even just using a spatula, when you add the flour to the batter. Stop mixing immediately once you no longer see any flour streak. (Troubleshooting tip #2)
As for cake being too oily, the culprit is usually the butter. Make sure that the butter is soft and at room temperature, and you beat the butter and sugar until white and fluffy before proceeding with the rest of the steps. (Troubleshooting tip #1)
great texture, very fluffy and light, tasty and simple. loved by all. thank you!
Thank you for the recipe. The cake turned out perfect. Buttery, moist and soft. Will definitely bake it again.
Hi, can I know why my butter cake is cracked on top towards the last minutes of baking and also a little bit dense inside?
Hi Darshini, usually the top of a cake may crack if it is too near the heating element, in which case try baking the cake using a lower rack. Another possibility is the oven temperature is too hot and causing the outer part bakes faster than the inside of the cake, in which case you may want to confirm your oven temperature with an oven thermometer or try baking the cake with a slightly lower temperature next time.
Usually, a cake can become dense if it's over-mixed. Either try not to mix too much and quickly stop mixing once there is no visible streak of flour, or try using a cake flour which is more forgiving even when over-mixed.
Can I use this recipe to make cupcakes? How many cupcakes would each batch typically make?
I haven't tried with this particular recipe. But from previous experience, an 8"x8" cake should yield about 12-18 cupcakes, assuming using a standard size muffin pan. The baking time is usually around 25 minutes for cupcakes with the same baking temperature.
Hello Anita, Thank you so much for this great recipe! My craving has been satisfied :) The instructions were easy to follow too. I used cake flour instead of all purpose flour. I finally got myself a hand mixer recently to try my hands at baking, and this is the first cake I've ever baked! My bf who does not fancy cakes, took a bite, then turned to me and said- I like it! I look forward to trying other recipes of yours. Thank you once again!
Hi Anita, Thanks for the recipe. This is the best butter cake I have done so far. My family love it alot. Tq.
I would like to check if there's any specific type of milk to be used or any milk will do? :)
Hi Rain, I usually use cow milk but you can use other milk too like soy milk, almond milk, e.t.c.
Hi Anita, I have tried your recipe and it was easy n the cake came out delicious. I was wondering if i am able to add in chocolate chips to make butter cupcakes with chocolate chips. Will the chocolate chip sink to the bottom? What would you recommend?
Hi Joyce, I would try using about 1 1/2 cup of chocolate chips. After step 5, fold about 1 cup of chocolate chips to the batter, then pour it into your cake pan. Then sprinkle the remaining 1/2 cup of chocolate chips on top of the batter and bake the cake.
Hi, I only have a 10 Inch round Springform. Would that Work too? Thank you for your advice.
Hi Michelle, if you have a 9-inch spring form pan, you can use the same temperature and baking time. For a 10-inch spring form pan, you can still use the same temperature, but your cake will bake faster. I think you will only take about 35 minutes, but please double check just to be sure.
Hi Anita! I've tried your recipe and using water bath method. I used 8" x8"×3" pan. But it was a tad short. Only yield 1" tall cake. But from your pic, it looks taller. Wonder where went wrong? Then I changed to 7"×7"×3" pan. It gives a 2" tall cake.
Hi Jasmine, I'm trying to think why your cake only rise 1-inch in the 8-inch pan since I usually get a 2-inch rise reliably. The culprits can be one of the followings:
(1) oven temperature is too low. Use an oven temperature to confirm that the temperature reported by your oven is the actual temperature and adjust as needed.
(2) old baking powder.
(3) over-mixing the batter, especially when adding the flour at the end.
(4) the cake may need to be baked a bit longer. Since everyone's oven is slightly different, always double check that the center of the cake is fully cook by inserting a toothpick and it should come out clean.
I tried this recipe yesterday and the cake is delicious and buttery with a really nice texture. Mine was almost perfect except that I added too much salt (3/4 tsp) as I didn't notice that my butter is slightly salted. I also added 2 tbsps of condensed milk to give it a slight milky buttery taste.
I tested this recipe but did not add any form of milk or yoghurt and it turned out light and fluffy. I cut down the sugar as I'm planning to add Nutella as the topping. After 2 days, the cake becomes tastier and moist and I did not keep it in the fridge. Just in an airtight container. It is worth it whipping the egg whites everyone. Thanks for the recipe, tips and sharing Anita!
my middle part of the cake is not fully cooked after 45 mins. so how long should i put inside the oven again with loosely covered foil to prevent overcooked?
Hi Carol, try baking for another 10-15 minutes with the pan loosely covered with aluminum foil.
Hi Anita, how do I troubleshoot if I'm using a conventional oven with no 'bottom heating only' setting? I've tried the recipe thrice and it always cooks quickly on top, almost burning it but uncooked inside all lumpy and moist.
Hi Abigail, it sounds like your oven top and bottom heating elements do not produce the same heat, with the top always produces more heat than the bottom.
Try to position your oven rack closer to the bottom so you can bake the cake closer to the bottom rather than right at the center of your oven.
If this still doesn't help, cover your cake pan loosely with a piece of aluminum foil to protect the top of the cake from getting baked/burned too quickly.
Hi Anita, I’ve tried out the recipe and it taste so delish! Just a quick check, my bottom was burnt and top is slightly hard and brown. I’m using a normal oven and bottom lamp, bake it at 42mins at 185celcius. The texture and taste was perfectly fine.
Hi Megan, that' great! I think if you can set the temperature to 180 Celsius instead of 185 Celsius, the cake won't become too hard and brown on both the top and bottom. :)
Mine is a fan assist oven. Which would be the best temperature and duration for baking the butter cake according to your receipe measurement. (8x8 pan)
Hi KV, I don't own a fan assist oven. I've received report of success from readers with 160C temperature and the same baking time when using a fan assist (convection) oven, but again, it's not based on my personal experience.
Hi. How come my egg white batter didnt turn into a meringue with stiff peak? How long should i whisk it?
Hi Kalai, did the egg whites whip up at all? It could be that your mixing bowl has a bit of an oil in it, or it could be your egg whites have a bit of egg yolk in them. If those were not the culprit, then it's just a matter of increasing the time and keep on whisking until it reaches stiff peak. As for the exact time, it will depend on your electric mixer, but there are plenty of online video for whipping egg whites should you need them.
Hi, I’ve made this cake many times and loveee it. My daughter is turning 5 and I’m planning to make a number 5 cake in this recipe. The silicon cake pan is 27cm High. Question- do I make 2 batches? Using a silicon pan will temperature or time difference?
Hi Michelle, do you mean 27cm wide? It's such a weird size for a pan? Is it a round pan, a square pan, or a rectangle? For reference, this recipe uses 8x8x2 inch pan, which can hold 8 cups. You can use your measuring cup and pour water to figure out how many cups your pan can hold. If it's 16 cup, then yes, you will need 2 batches of the recipe to fill the cake pan.
As for the baking time and temperature, I've never worked with silicon pans before so unfortunately, I can't be sure. Possibly try with the same temperature and time first, and add more baking time as needed?
Hi Anita, if I want to do 1/2 kg, I have to put half of each ingredients is it ? Kindly advice.
Hi Irene, do you mean half recipe? If so, then yes, simply half all the ingredients. If you use the same pan, it'll be a short cake, and your baking time will be so much faster, so please check earlier.
I made this recipe. It turned out perfect. I baked some mini cupcakes as well.
Hi Anita, i have tried your pandan cake for few times already and it was simply delicious. The cake turns out very very nice each time. I dont know if you'll reply to this but may i know if i can use water bath technique for this recipe too? If yes, is the time in the oven remains 45 minutes too? Please help me :(
Hi Sarah, if you use the water bath method, please follow the same temperature and baking time as the one for pandan butter cake. :)
Hi, i have tried your pandan cake recipe for few times and it turns out perfectly each time. So delicious! But may i know if i can use the water bath method for this butter cake recipe? If yes, how long should i bake and is it the same temperature? Please notice my question :'(
Hi Mei, you can use the water bath method for this recipe as well. Please follow the same temperature and baking time as the one for pandan butter cake if you choose to do so (oven set at 320 Fahrenheit (160 Celcius) for 1 hour 30 minutes.)
Thank you!!!!!!
Hi anita, may i ask if the recipe for lemon butter cake is the same as orange butter cake? Just replace the 1/4 cup of milk with orange juice/lemon juice? Or would it be too much of a lemon juice? Would love to try a lemon butter cake as my mom loves it.
Hi Aida, lemon in general is more sour compared to orange, so I would use 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of milk instead of 1/4 cup (4 tablespoons) of orange juice. For the zest, you can use the zest of 1 lemon and not holding back at all. ;)
Hi Anita, Thanks for sharing a remarkable recipe. I have a situation with pan size. I would like to bake in 10 cup bundt pan. Since this is 8 cup batter recipe, please advise should I add more ingredients or the pan is just perfect to hold 8 cup batter without tolerating on design later.
Hi Firdaleena, you can try filling your bundt pan with 8 cups worth of water. That way, you can imagine how the final cake will look like. Since most bundt pans design depend on the top part, I think it should be quite safe even if you use 1x the recipe. If you think you must fill the entire pan for the design to look pretty, you will need to scale all the ingredients by 1.25x.
Hi Anita, May I know how long do we need to preheat the oven before bake?
Hi Jenny, I'm not sure about your oven, but for most ovens, you simply need to turn on the oven, set the baking temperature (in our case, 180 Celsius/350 Fahrenheit), and the oven will "beep" or show other indication when it reaches that temperature. Once it does that, you can start baking the cake. If you still have the instruction manual for your oven, it may tell you more about how to preheat your oven.
Hi Anita I have a problem with butter cake, the bottom of the cake is dense. Noted the ways to avoid but still persists. I am using a hand mixer with 600watts. Is this too high? Any adjustments needed?
Hi Ming, it sounds like the problem of over-mixing butter and sugar. Usually, the most likely problem is due to using butter that is not at room temperature. The butter needs to be soft, but not too soft (aka, not melted or even partially/slightly melted). If you store butter in the fridge, you need to be patient and wait for it to come to room temperature. :)
Hi ! I'm looking for a good pineapple butter cake. Would it be possible to add pineapples and pineapple juice to this recipe?
Hi Ann, I think you can follow my suggestion for turning this into an orange butter cake, but using pineapple juice instead of orange juice. You can also add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of chopped pineapple flesh to the batter for more pineapple goodness, then bake with the same temperature and time. :)
Hi Anita! I made it today and the cake was so unbelievably moist and delicious. :) However, I couldn't taste any pineapple even after adding juice and flesh. I may need to increase the pineapple flesh a lot. Thank you for the wonderful recipe!
Hi Anita, Shamala here, Would like to ask, my oven have top n bottom heat. Which i should use to bake ur cake. Also pls advise what type of recepie to use top heat & bottom heat. Or both. Tq
Hi Shamala, please use only the bottom heat when baking this cake. Generally, you only use both top and bottom heat for preheating the oven, and you will need to turn off the top heat when you start baking the cake. Or, if at the end of the baking time, you find that the top of the cake is not as brown as you wish, you can turn on the top heat to brown the top for a couple of minutes.
Hey Anita, thanks for this wonderful recipe. I am a home based baker and I am selling this recipe as my premium butter cake. Everyone loves it so much. But, I would love to know if I can double the recipe. Please do advice.
Hi Ramya, you can double the recipe and bake it in a 9-inch x 13-inch pan with the same temperature and the same baking time. The only problem is, when you cut the cake into two, each cake will be 9-inch x 6.5-inch and not 8-inch x 8-inch, so if you are okay with that, you can go ahead with the 9-inch x 13-inch pan.
Turned out great! Moist and fluffy. Baked at 160°C using fan-assisted oven.
Hiii Anita. I have tried your recipe and it worked wonders!!! How do I use the same recipe for Thai milk tea butter cake? BTW, I never love butter cake that much, but yours, it is soooooooooo good. Nyum.
Hi Daleena, I've never tried using Thai milk tea. My guess is instead of 1/4 cup milk, you can prepare 1/4 cup of thick/concentrated Thai milk tea (perhaps double or triple the regular strength) and use it instead of the milk.
Can I use sugar powder or it should be fine sugar?
Hi Sarah, since we are creaming butter and sugar, it is best to avoid powdered sugar. If you don't want to use regular sugar, you can also use brown sugar, or even coconut palm sugar.
Hi Anita, Can I ask you if I am using the 6inch round pan, do I need to reduce the ingredients ? Or maybe I can make it two 6inch round pan?
Hi Sinwin, it should fit two 6-inch round pans perfectly. If you want to bake only one pan, please half all the ingredients.
Hi I made this today, the orange version, and doubled the recipe, used my 7” x 7” for a higher cake. Turned out perfect with added 10 minutes from your time as they were not ready then. Wish I knew how to upload photos to show you them. Thank you for sharing your perfect recipe! My Mum in Law loves this version as it isn’t dry like the usual butter cakes.
Hi Anita, can i use butter extract to enhance more butter flavor? Thanks, Jane
Hi Jane, you can add butter extract if you want to. :)
One of the best butter cake recipes I had every tried. And a foolproof one for me! I am not a cake person, but a very good butter cake will get me drooling, every single time. Thanks a lot! I will try the coffee and marble variant next time.
This is butter cake that i want... Superb delicious and moist😋 Thank you for this recipe 🥰😍
I've tried the recipe, it's so delicious & fluffy 👍👍 I've a question for orange butter cake, for the orange juice, is it pure orange juice or mix with water?
Hi qis, I usually use pure orange juice. :)
Thanks for this recipe! Tried it and it's super easy to make and absolutely delicious! If I may ask, how long can it last?:)
Hi Russ, it should be fresh for up to a week when stored in an airtight container in the fridge. If you freeze the cake after wrapping it with 2-3 layers of saran/foil wrap, it can stay fresh for 3-4 months.
Hi.. can I use 7 x 7 pan to bake this cake?
Hi Eileen, you can, but you will need only 75% of the ingredients and not 100%. The baking time and baking temperature for 7x7 should remain almost the same as 8x8.
Hi Anita,just wondering why you reduce the amount of all purpose flour(180g) instead 200g for self rising flour?why don’t we use the same measurement?any explanation? If we use cake flour,how much baking powder we need?thanks in advance
Hi Ida, self rising flour has baking powder and a little bit of salt incorporated in it. That's why instead of 200 grams self rising flour, I'm using 180 grams of all-purpose flour + 2 teaspoons of baking powder + some salt (~ 1/4 teaspoon). In case you are wondering, the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of salt is to account for using unsalted butter as opposed to salted butter. If using cake flour, please use the same amount of baking powder (2 teaspoons).
Thanks for sharing your recipe! It’s taste was exactly as I remembered from childhood memories.
Hi can I freeze this cake for later use?
You can definitely freeze the cake, Salena. Wait until the cake is completely cool, then wrap with 2 layers of saran wrap, and 1 layer of aluminum foil. It should stay fresh for up to 3 months. To thaw, remove the frozen cake from the freezer into the fridge a day prior to using. It usually takes about 8 hours to completely thaw the cake in the fridge.
If I use self raising flour and salted butter do I still need to add salt again?
Hi Rie, you won't need any more salt if you use both self raising flour AND salted butter.
Can I not separate the egg yolk and egg white? Meaning whisk whole egg in same batter.
Hi Jacqueline, you can. But please understand that in most cases your cake will be less fluffy if you don't separately whisk the egg whites and then incorporate it to your egg yolks batter.
Temperature not stated, bake for 45 minutes?
Hi Alice, the temperature is 180 Celsius (350 Fahrenheit), at the very first step of the recipe when we preheat the oven.
What type of sugar is used in the Egg White Batter? I used icing sugar & it turned out well. I also added orange rind to the mix. Cake turned out really great. Thank you for a great recipe
Hi Maxine, I use regular granulated sugar for the egg white batter, but icing sugar works too. :)
Lovely cake . I've made it for the first time today :)
I have tried a handful of butter cake recipes and i must say that yours is sitting right at the top! So perfectly moist and buttery. Perfect with a cup of hot tea. Thanks for sharing a great recipe! Will definitely repeat this.
First time baking it and it’s perfect! Fluffy and moist! 😊 thank you for sharing this recipe!
Hi Can this cake be used as a layer cake with buttercream frosting? Planning to bake it for a birthday . Thank you
Hi Elsa, that is doable. Just be sure to wait until the cake cools completely. If you have extra time, it will be even better to first chill the cake in the fridge for overnight before cutting it into two halves. Buttercream frosting works with this cake. :)
Hi! I’ve made your recipe many times and my friends and family loved it. Recently been trying to make it into a loaf cake instead. Do you know what temperature should I bake the cake if I am going to bake it in a 6 inch loaf pan as I have already experimented with 180C, 170C, 160C and 150C and they all turn out to have the bottom half of the cake dense while the outer layer turns brown and hard. Would love to go lower but am afraid that the cake would not rise as much.
Hi Lynn, I haven't tried baking this cake in a 6" loaf pan before. I have tried converting other cakes baked in an 8" square pan into a 9"x5" loaf pan. Lowering baking temperature from 350 F to 325 F is usually my go-to method, and the baking time does increase, and can take as long as 50% longer. When I notice that the top surface starts to brown too much, I tent the cake with a piece of aluminum foil. I am not sure how to convert this recipe into a 6" loaf pan as I think it will overflow?
Hi Anita, Can i use a 9x9 square pan instead of 8x8? Can't wait to try it out! Thank you Christy
Hi Christy, if you have a 9-inch round pan instead of a 9-inch square pan, you can follow the recipe as is and it should work out perfectly. If you only have the 9-inch square pan, I would suggest increasing the each ingredient by 25% (i.e. multiple each ingredient by 1.25). With the 1.25x of ingredients, you can then use the same baking time and temperature.
Hi, I made the cake today and it turned out great ! But my family said it was too sweet. How much sugar can I reduce to still get the same texture and can I use sugar substitutes suitable for diabetics? Thanks!
Hi Jas, I have tried baking this cake with a total of 175 gram sugar successfully in the past, so you can definitely reduce the sugar a little. Try using 125 grams of sugar at step 3, and keep the 50 grams of sugar at step 4.
Unfortunately, I have never tried using any sugar substitute so I can't say I have confidence to suggest any. You can try following this guide from King Arthur if you want to, they are a great source for anything baking. :)
I only have a 7x7 square pan, can i use this with the same baking time?
Hi Rico, 7x7 square pan is too small for this recipe. If you want to use the 7x7 square pan, you will need to multiple all the ingredients by 3/4 (or 75%), then it should be okay to use the same baking time and temperature.
Hi Ms. Anita, my grandparents really loves the cake. They want me to bake it again and again.
Hi, I baked the butter cake today using your recipe and was really good. Can I ask in order to have a softer cake can I do a medium peak instead of stiff peak?
Hi Yvonne, certainly, though you will need to be more careful when handling the cake. ;) You can also try using cake flour instead of all-purpose flour for an even softer cake.
Hello Anita, butter cake is a family favorite and I have tried so many recipes. When I can get the taste right, the texture is always not so soft and not so moist. For the 1st time in 30 years, I made the best butter cake last week. Your detailed explanation and tips helped a lot. With the success of my butter cake, I was brave enough to try making the pandan cake and again it turned out superb You are indeed so kind to share your recipe. Tq and God Bless you
Hi, thanks a lot for the recipe & I am very satisfied with the cake. Very moist & the top was not crack at all except got few bubbles. By the way, i only use 100g sugar in egg yolk batter & reduce my oven temperature to 175 degree celcius (bottom heat only) and the cake still came out good.
My cake cracks on the top. What am I doing wrong?
Hi Sulekha, it is usually due to some ovens running too hot, or it could also due to the cake pan is placed too high in the oven.
If you have an oven thermometer, you can confirm if your oven is indeed baking at its reported temperature. If you were baking your cake using the top rack, you can try baking it at middle rack, or even just a tad lower (mine has 5 different placements, so I usually use the 3rd one which is right at the middle of the oven).
If none of these help, the last resort is to bake the cake using a water bath method. You can see how I do this from my pandan coconut butter cake recipe. Just follow the method, the temperature, and the baking time.
Hi Anita, Can I use an 8 x 8 inch round baking pan instead of a square 8" x 8" pan? Just wanted to confirm that this cake is baked using only the bottom heat, right? Not top and bottom heat? Is the baking tray to be placed on the bottom or middle rack of the 40L oven please? Looking forward to your advice. Many thanks!
Hi, 8-inch round pan will be too small, it will be perfect if you use a 9-inch round pan instead. 8-inch round pan is only 75% of 8-inch square pan, so if you want to use an 8-inch round pan, you will need to multiple each of the ingredients by 3/4 (or 75%). Yes, I only use the bottom heat to bake the cake. And I always place the cake pan on the middle rack.
I tried this recipe for the first time and it was super delicious! Easy and nice. Thank you!!
Can I use condense milk instead of milk?
Hi Carol, condensed milk is too thick to be a milk substitute so I don't recommend it. You can try using soy milk, almond milk, or even just plain water.
Hi Anita, I only have 7" round and 9" square baking pan? Would appreciate if you could advise on the baking timing and the temperature too.
Hi Ann, if using a 7-inch round pan, please halve each of the ingredient (i.e. multiple each ingredient by 50%); if using a 9-inch square pan, please increase each of the ingredient by 25% (i.e. multiply each ingredient by 125%).
The temperature should be the same, and the baking time should be very very close, but do check about 5 minutes earlier and always use a skewer/cake tester to check that the cake is indeed fully baked before removing from the oven.
Hi.If i have those dried mixed fruits bought in supermarket. Can I use it in this butter cake to become butter fruit cake?
Hi Amy, I have never added mixed dried fruits before, but that sounds fabulous and I believe it should work. I would start with a maximum of 1 cup and see how it turns out. :)
Hi Anita, Can we freeze this butter cake? I thought of baking it in advance to save me time on the event day.
Hi Beth, definitely. If you freeze the cake after wrapping it with 2-3 layers of saran/foil wrap, it can stay fresh for 3-4 months. Just let the still wrapped frozen cake thaw in the refrigerator 24-36 hours before using it.
Hi Anita, just bake and the fam loves it! Can we use this recipe for banana butter cake ? How much banana would we need ? Thanks in advance.
Hi Mag, I haven't tried using banana for this recipe yet. If I were to give it a try, I will start by replacing 4 eggs (yolks + whites) into 2 eggs (yolks + whites) + 1/2 cup of mashed very ripe banana (~ 130 gram). So use 2 egg yolks + 1/2 cup mashed banana when preparing the egg yolk batter, but only use 2 egg whites for the egg white batter. Also, since banana is already sweet, I will probably reduce the sugar in egg white batter from 50 gram to 25 gram.
Thank you Anita for your prompt response. Greatly appreciate. Shall try and update you on the results. Between my dad loves your butter cake recipe!
Hi Anita, thank you for sharing this lovely recipe which is super yummy, moist and fluffy !! I have some questions, there seems to be like bubble appearing on the top of the cake upon baking and I'm wondering what went wrong? Secondly, the cake doesn't seem to be on the high side even with an 8x8x3 inch pan. What is the expected hight of the cake after baking? Lastly, will there be a difference in temperature with convection oven for cake baking? Thank you so much in advance and hope to hear from you 😊.
(1) Bubbles on top of the cake usually indicates that there are trapped air bubbles in the batter. Generally dropping the cake pan on the kitchen counter several times to force the trapped air out prior to baking should be enough to remedy the problem. Also, be sure to preheat the oven so once your cake batter is poured into the pan, it can immediately go into the oven. Letting the cake batter sits out in the pan and not getting baked immediately may also lead to this problem.
(2) The cake should be around 2-inch tall, and you can bake it with an 8x8x2-inch pan. I only have an 8x8x3-inch pan, so that's what I use to bake the cake, but know that it is not a must. :)
Hi there! Thanks for this recipe. Done it a few times with much success, but for some reason, the most recent try I had a crispy texture, almost like there was undissolved sugar in the cake. Any idea what I did wrong? Thanks!
Hi Stuart, is it just around the edges? That could happen if when you butter and flour the pan to prevent cake from sticking, but there's too much excess flour and that extra is what makes the edges turn crispy/crunchy.
If that is not the case, then it is either your oven suddenly runs hotter than usual (a.k.a time to splurge for an oven thermometer), or perhaps this time you are using a dark color pan or a glass pan as opposed to a light color pan (in which case, you may want to try reducing the temp by 25 Fahrenheit).
Moist cake with no frills. I will definitely make this again! Thank you for the recipe!
I tried this recipe with a small tweak like skipping the part where egg yolks and egg whites are separated and used whole egg instead. Added 50gm of icing sugar and two drops of sunquick for the flavours added chopped almonds too... topped it with cream cheese and sprinkled oven roasted almonds on top ..
Made this for my aunt's birthday and everyone thought it was purchased from a Baker... simply irresistible.
Wish I can share the pic here...
Thanks for the recipe... Will definitely try other recipes
Hi Anita, I made this butter cake twice in a 8 and 7 inch square pan. The family loves it! However, I realized that the bottom of my cakes both time are wetter than the top. I have ensure the butter to be at room temperature. Just wan to check when I am creaming the butter and sugar with an electric hand mixer, do I cream it for 8 mins at medium speed as well? Trying to fix the wet bottom issue to perfect the baking :). Thanks in advance.
Hi Mag, if it is just at the bottom of the cake that is wetter, I don't think there is any issue with the creaming part. I think the cake just need a couple of minutes more in the oven. Next time, try baking for another 3-5 more minutes but with the top part covered with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent the surface of the cake from browning too much.
Hi! How do I reduce sugar for this recipe? Tried this yesterday and it taste perfect! But find it abit too sweet for my toddler.
Hi Yvonne, another reader has successfully reduced the sugar in egg yolk batter to 100 gram, but keep the sugar in egg white batter the same. Personally, I have only tried reducing the sugar in egg yolk batter to 125 gram and not 100 gram.
I am always scared to bake butter cake or marble cake, though they are my favourites! How if I would want to bake it in Loaf tin, what would be the size? Thanks!
Hi Faz, you can use a 9"x5" loaf pan. Lower the baking temperature from 350F to 325F. The baking time will increase by about 50%, so around 65 to 70 minutes, though I would start checking at 60 minutes just to be on the safe side. Also, if you notice that the top surface starts to brown too much, you can tent the cake with a piece of aluminum foil.
Love this recipe much. Just curious, if I were to place fresh fruit on the mixture which is already in baking tray, and bake as stated, would this work? Like that of the fruit pastry cake. Thank you.
Hi Pat, it should work. I think fresh strawberries, blueberries, and cherries should work well. I think about 250 grams of fresh fruit should be enough.
Hi Anita I did the Mrs SK Ng recipe as about only that I use the self raising flour as per your instruction. After baking it I found like wet streaky line at the bottom my cake, and wonder why. Can you please advise me what I did wrong. Thanks and looking forward to your answer. Cheers Amy Lim
Hi Amy, thank you for trying the recipe. The gluey (wet) streak is usually caused by over-creaming the batter. When doing step 3, start mixing with medium speed, but when adding flour and milk, switch to the lowest speed setting. Also, be sure to stop mixing the moment the flour is fully incorporated into the batter. I hope you will get a smooth and streak free cake next time. :)
Hi Anita, love this recipe taste is good but then I have a streak of wet line at the bottom of my cake. I added 1 tablespoon of instant coffee after the flour and milk batter before pouring it into the 8 x 8 x 3 pan. The cake shrink immediately I took out from oven and the height is about 1 inch. Please advise what have gone wrong with the cake.
Can I reduce the sugar to 150 gm?
Thanks and hope to hear from you soon
Amy
Hi Amy, the streak of wet line is most likely due to over-creaming the batter. Please set your mixer to medium speed when you beat together sugar, butter, and eggs. Then set it to a slower speed, or use a spatula, when you start adding flour to the batter.
Usually a cake shrinks/collapses when removing from the oven means that the cake is under-baked. Your oven heat may actually be lower than the reported temperature (you can fix this problem by relying on the temperature reading from an oven thermometer instead of the one from your oven). Also, if you opened your oven door before the baking time was over and causing a drop in the oven temperature, you would have needed a longer baking time compared to the one stated in the recipe.
As for the sugar, another reader has successfully used only 110 gram of sugar for the egg yolk batter, but keeps the 50 gram sugar for the egg white batter. So the total sugar used is 160 gram. Maybe 150 gram should work too (100 gram for egg yolk batter and 50 gram for egg white batter).
Hi Anita, Thank you sharing the recipe. I do not have any all purpose flour. Can I substitute it with cake flour? Any other changes need to made for remaining ingredient? Thank you.
Yes, you can use cake flour, and no need to change the remaining ingredients. Your cake will be fluffier and softer compared to using all-purpose flour, which is perfect if you happen to love fluffy and soft cake. :)
Hi, this is a great recipe! If I wanted to make a loaf tin, would I just half the recipe? How will this affect the baking time? Thanks in advance!
Hi Z, if you are using a 9"x5" loaf pan, you don't need to half the recipe at all. Try lowering the baking temperature from 350 F to 325 F. The baking time usually increases, and can take as long as 50% longer, but please check accordingly. If you notice that the top surface starts to brown too much, please tent the cake with a piece of aluminum foil to prevent the top from over-browning.
This cake was a hit at home. It's so delicious. Will definitely bake it again.
Dear Anita, Thank you for your recipe and excellent instructions. I'll certainly try to make this cake. I think the separation of the egg yolks and whites is also applied when making chiffon cakes (which I like so much!). I have one question. In case of a chocolate (or marble) version of this recipe you advise us to add some additional butter. I'm trying to understand the rationale for the extra butter. Can you help me out? Thanks, Fred
Hi Fred, in my experience, I find that just replacing the flour with cocoa powder makes the cake texture a little drier. The additional butter is to counteract that dryness. It is okay if you don't want to add that extra 20 gram of butter, but to me, that little extra of butter ensure that I still get a moist cake when adding cocoa powder.
Excellent recipe! I adapted this with gluten-free flour and soy milk for my family members with intolerances and it turned out really yummy (not the case with many cake recipes). I made them into cupcakes, and they were done in 20 minutes. Also added chocolate chips to half the batch for my kid, which earned five stars from that picky eater. All in a brilliant recipe, totally recommended!
Hi can I use coconut flour and monk fruit sugar for a diabetic friendly cake? How much to use? Thanks.
Hi Pink, I am sorry but I have never used coconut flour and monk fruit sugar for this recipe. If other readers have tried the substitution successfully, could you please share your experience with us? Thanks!
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