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
1 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