Simple Vanilla Butter Cake

Have you ever felt that overwhelming thirst where nothing—neither lemonade nor cola—can truly satisfy? Only water, pure and simple, quenches it completely. In that instant, you realize water isn’t just a drink; it’s the ultimate refreshment.

That’s exactly how it feels with cake. You may have indulged in pastries, marble swirls, fruity delights, jellies, or even ice cream cakes. Yet nothing compares to the timeless charm of a classic buttery vanilla cake—simple, elegant, and absolutely unforgettable. This cake has a wonderful velvety texture with loads of butter and a lovely vanilla flavour. It is fluffy, moist and a super easy-to-prepare cake. 

The term "cake" has a long history. 
The word itself is of Viking origin, from the Old Norse word "kaka".
The ancient Greeks called cake πλακοῦς (plakous), which was derived from the word for "flat", πλακόεις (plakoeis). It was baked using flour mixed with eggs, milk, nuts and honey. In ancient Rome, basic bread dough was sometimes enriched with butter, eggs, and honey, which produced a sweet and cake-like baked good. Early cakes in England were also essentially bread. 

Butter cakes are made from creamed butter, sugar, eggs, and flour. They rely on the combination of butter and sugar beaten for an extended time to incorporate air into the batter. It is considered as one of the quintessential cakes in American baking. Butter cake originated from the English pound cake, which traditionally used equal amounts of butter, flour, sugar, and eggs to bake a heavy, rich cake.

I love it that I can bake this at home anytime as the recipe calls for simple and everyday ingredients that most of us have at home. 

All you need to do is follow the easy instructions and in less than an hour, the mouthwatering smell of butter cake fills your house.

So, here's the recipe:

Ingredients:

3 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup butter (room temperature)
2 cups sugar (powdered)
4 eggs
1 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract

Method:
Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease a baking pan with butter. (I used a 9-inch square pan)
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.
Cream together butter and sugar till fluffy. Beat in vanilla. Add eggs one by one, blending well after each addition.
Blend in the milk alternating with the flour mixture into the creamed mixture.
Then pour this into the prepared pan and bake for 45 mins or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Remove from the oven and let cool completely.

This cake is absolutely delicious as it is. I cut it into slices and store it in an airtight container. But it doesn't last that long in my house though. 
We just love it. We eat it for dessert and sometimes even for breakfast.

You can also frost this cake with your favourite butter cream frosting or drizzle chocolate ganache over it, or you could even layer it with your most loved filling. You can make fluffy little cupcakes as well with the same batter.

Sometimes it's the simple pleasures in life that can absolutely make your day. 
"Happiness is knowing there is cake in the oven."