Description
A classic Southern-style birthday cake featuring a tender, moist crumb and a rich, velvety buttercream frosting. This reliable recipe creates a professional-quality dessert that is perfect for celebrating special milestones or simply enjoying a sweet family gathering.
Ingredients
- All-purpose flour
- Unsalted butter, room temperature
- Granulated sugar
- Baking powder
- Salt
- Whole milk
- Fresh eggs, room temperature
- Vanilla extract
- Confectioner’s sugar (for icing)
- Butter flavoring (for icing)
- Cooking spray or grease-and-flour (for pans)
- Optional: colorful sprinkles
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and coat two 9-inch cake pans liberally with cooking spray or grease and flour.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the room temperature butter and granulated sugar together with an electric mixer for 3 to 5 minutes until light and fluffy.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt; in a separate small bowl, whisk the eggs, milk, and vanilla extract.
- Add half of the dry ingredients and half of the wet ingredients to the creamed butter, mixing on low speed until combined, then add the remaining portions and mix for 2 to 3 minutes until smooth.
- Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until the tops are golden and spring back when pressed.
- Cool in the pans for 10 minutes before moving to wire racks, then whip the icing ingredients together and frost the cake once it is completely cold.
Notes
For the most tender crumb, ensure all your dairy and eggs are at room temperature before mixing to prevent the batter from curdling. If you prefer a more stable frosting for piping decorations, gradually add more confectioner’s sugar until you reach your desired consistency.
- Prep Time: 25 mins
- Cook Time: 35 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Southern American