Source
r/Old_Recipes•
bug611

Butter cake??

Request

Butter Cake??

I told my MIL I’d bake her a cake for her birthday and all she wants is a butter cake?? She sent me her moms recipe she used growing up and it’s a hot mess. (For reference MIL is in her late 60’s I believe) Has anyone ever heard of butter cake?? Can you tell me anything about it? I have no idea what the flavor profile should be or is it a dense cake? I’m imagining pound cake but a picture I googled looked more like a lemon bar but her recipe is a three layered cake? Any help would be wonderful! Thank you!!!

Posted Jun 9, 2022, 10:45 PM UTC

1230
Parkatoplaya•

The original St Louis ooey gooey butter cake separates to three layers of deliciousness. Maybe that’s the cake? https://creative-culinary.com/st-louis-gooey-butter-cake-recipe/

10
Massysmom•

This isn’t a layer cake as requested

2
RideThatBridge•

Why is a time recipe tested a hot mess, in your opinion??

Butter cake is indeed a recipe. I’ve heard it called Kentucky Butter cake. The flavor profile, shockingly, is buttery. It’s very moist.

9
bug611OP•

Oh no, it’s her hand written recipe that’s a mess! I’ve literally never heard of this cake and can’t make sense of the recipe 😂 I’m sure it’s good but she has no time/temp for baking and the measurements are all over the place too 😬 and my husband said she’s the kind of person who doesn’t follow a recipe anyway where if it says 2eggs and 3 yolks she’ll just throw in 2 eggs and call it good 😬

5
RideThatBridge•

LOL!! Ooooh-I was like-damn woman! Just cuz you never heard of it before doesn’t mean it isn’t good 😂😂. Sorry about that!! Hope you find a good recipe-it’s delicious!

10
bug611OP•

😂😂 nah I love trying new things!! I just need a coherent recipe please!😂😂

4
RideThatBridge•

I get that!! Good luck!

2
vinniethestripeycat•

You can also post the recipe here & we can help you figure it out.

9
bug611OP•

I almost did! But she wrote personal information with peoples names and addresses with it 😬

8†
Hot_Walrus_3299•

Redact them geez

15
WuweiWave•

Oh my gosh, the downvotes! I’m so sorry. I don’t understand people sometimes.

8
afaerieprincess80•

My dad's favorite cake and the only cake he bakes is called Bonnie Butter Cake. He doesn't layer it, but bakes it in a 9x13 pan. It's a good yellow cake. My dad is in his early 70s, so age is about right. All the cakes I googled seem to have about the same proportions. I trust this recipe b/c it says it's from a betty crocker cookbook. https://www.recipelink.com/msgbrd/board\_2/2009/FEB/23209.html

8
checkedlinoleum•

Woman's Institute library of cookery (1917) simply lists it as a type of cake that uses butter as opposed to one that doesn't, which will affect texture and taste. This is their basic recipe:

RECIPES FOR BUTTER CAKES

  1. One-Eg-g Cake. — One of the most economical cakes that can be made is the one-egg cake given in the accompanying recipe. However, when only one egg is used, a comparatively small quantity of cake mixture is the result. If it is desired to make a layer cake of this mixture, it will be necessary to double the quantities of the ingredients.
    One-Egg Cake
    1/4 c. butter

3 tsp. baking powder
1/2 c. sugar

1/2 c. milk
1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 c. flour
Cream the butter, add the sugar gradually, beat the egg, and add it. Mix and sift the flour and baking powder. Add the milk and the flour alternately until all the flour and liquid are added. Add the vanilla. Bake in a shallow loaf pan, making a single layer. Ice with any desirable icing.

There are variations beyond page 25 but the one I'm familiar with that's served in restaurants is a very moist, butter-heavy cake similar to what RideThatBridge mentioned.

6
bug611OP•

Thank you so much!!

3
P2X-555•

Butter cake. Or even Butter Cake. Or perhaps even Butter Cake explained.

6
Significant_Sign•

Try Southern Living magazine's online recipe website. Butter Cake is very popular in the 2 states I've lived in, Louisiana & Mississippi, so I bet SL would have something.

5
[deleted]•

[deleted]

4
bug611OP•

😂😂 I actually love baking cakes and I made an amazing cake for my FIL for his birthday and I wanted to offer the same to her not thinking she’d ask for something boring while providing her own recipe to use for it 😂

6
[deleted]•

[deleted]

2
bug611OP•

😂😂😂 that’s totally fair!!

3
cattaillss•

Here is a recipe. It seems simple, yet complex, with the egg thing going on. There are variations at the end of the page. I may try this.

I love butter. Butter cake. Mmmmmm.

Have a look, OP!!

4
bug611OP•

Ooh thank you!! Since you’re familiar with butter cake let me also ask you this, do you usually frost it in any way? If so what flavor of frosting do you use?

3
cattaillss•

Sorry to lead you astray!! I clicked on your post, because I think butter should be its own food group. : D

Personally, I would frost this with a whipped cream frosting, or a toasted coconut frosting. Leaning towards toasted coconut.

I have made a hot milk sponge cake, with a toasted coconut frosting. Been a while. Let me see what I can find.

If you really wanted to go over the top with a butter cake, you could try a buttercream frosting. I am drooling just thinking about it.

This topping might work.

Please post a picture when you are finished. I bet it will be delicious!!

Good luck!!

3
bug611OP•

Ooh I never would’ve thought of toasted coconut!!! I love it!! I’ll try to remember to post a picture!!

2
NotTeri•

Post a picture of it. There are a lot of experienced baking brains here.

3
Spite-Funny•

I had a butter cake at a restaurant recently and it was very dense, and the crumb was quite chewy towards the edge. It was not like any cake I've ever had before... more dense even than pound cake, but not wet/mushy like fruitcake.

It was not iced but did have a sweet syrup drizzle (honey? apricot? I can't remember the flavor very well).

I tried to find a recipe and found so much variation. You might want to ask MIL what texture she's expecting and if she likes it with a topping. I think butter cake isn't like "German chocolate cake" or "black forest cake" where the name tells you everything you need to know.

3
Strange-Ad-2041•

Preppy Kitchen has a very good butter cake recipe and video if you’re more visual.

There’s a sauce you add to the end that brings it over the top.

3
equanimity89•

Claire Saffitz has a video on (gooey) butter cake: https://youtu.be/_IR3p0CxlLg

2
ClementineCoda•

Does it have sour cream? Sounds more like a southern layer cake with butter cake.. cakes?

Maybe provide the recipe.

But I will say Betty Crocker makes a butter cake mix that's very good (add butter of course) and I've had a lot of luck using some sour cream as part of the required liquid.

1
bug611OP•

Nope no sour cream 🤷‍♀️ She gave me two recipes though, the one from her mom, and then her friend made one for her and changed it, that one has buttermilk or yogurt listed, but no sour cream🤷‍♀️

2
ClementineCoda•

welp, maybe just ask your MIL if you have questions, tell her you need some tips how it should turn out, etc, that's probably the best way to go

3
stitchplacingmama•

Sour cream can also be used instead of buttermilk or plain yogurt. You want the acidity from the ingredient to activate the leavener, usually baking soda, sometimes baking soda and baking powder.

3