Best Butter Cake

Time: 35 minutes. We created this elegant, elongated version of strawberry shortcake by stacking cake layers with berries and whipped cream.

This recipe goes with Fudge Butter Cake, Strawberry Tallcake

Yield: Makes one 8-in. cake, serving 16

Ingredients

• 2 1/4  cups  cake flour
• 2 1/2  teaspoons  baking powder
• 1  teaspoon  salt
• 1 1/4  cups  sugar
• About 1/2 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2  large eggs
• 2  teaspoons  vanilla extract
• 2/3  cup  milk

Preparation

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into a medium bowl; set aside. In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat sugar and 1/2 cup butter until creamy. Crack eggs into a small dish (do not beat) and add vanilla. Add eggs to the butter mixture 1 at a time, scraping down the inside of the bowl as needed. Beat in flour mixture and milk in alternating batches, starting and ending with the flour and making sure each addition is fully incorporated before adding the next.

2. Butter and flour 2 round 8-in. cake pans. Divide batter evenly between pans.

3. Bake until golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center of each cake comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

4. Cool cakes 5 minutes. Invert onto a rack, remove pans, and let cool to room temperature, at least 40 minutes.

Make ahead: Up to 2 days, wrapped in plastic wrap and chilled.

Note: Nutritional analysis is per serving.

Nutritional Information

Calories:

361 (45% from fat)

Protein:

3.8g

Fat:

18g (sat 11)

Carbohydrate:

48g

Fiber:

1.5g

Sodium:

253mg

Cholesterol:

84mg