Buttermilk Birthday Cake

• 250g Plain Flour
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp bicarbonate soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 200ml buttermilk (or 75g yoghurt mixed with 125ml semi-skimmed milk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 125g soft unsalted butter
• 200g caster sugar
• 3 large eggs

Icing

• 300g butter
• 700g icing sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tbsp milk

Preheat oven to 180C

Sift flour, baking powder, bicarbonate of soda and salt together into a bowl and set aside.

Pour the buttermilk (or yoghurt and milk) into a measuring jug and stir in the vanilla. Cream the butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mix at medium speed (or by hand) until light and fluffly. Reduce the speed if using the mixer and add the eggs one at a time, beating for 30 seconds between additions. Add alternating increments of the flour mixture and the vanilla - buttermilk, blending well after each addition, this should take 3-5 minutes.

Pour into 23 cm square tin or 2 x sandwich cake tins, lined and greased. Bake for about 30 mins (30 if using the sandwich tins) until the cake is beginning to shrink away from the sides and a cake tester comes out clean.

Cool in the tin on a wire rack for 10 mins beforeunmoulding to let cook completely.

-- Sarah Peers