Authentic Sri Lankan Butter Cake that's light, buttery and moist, with a beautiful crumb, perfect sweetness, and a hint of vanilla flavor! Follow this step by step recipe for perfect results!EASY - This recipe is easy to make even for beginners. A great basic cake recipe that can be served as a birthday cake as well. US based cup, teaspoon, tablespoon measurements. Common Measurement Conversions. Weight measurements are recommended for accurate results.
250gwhite sugar(1¼ cup) caster sugar is better, but not required
250geggs4 - 5 eggs, weighed with the shell, at room temperature
2tspvanilla extractuse less if using vanilla essence
250gall purpose flour2 cups, measured by spoon and level method
2tspbaking powder
79mLmilk(⅓ cup) at room temperature
Instructions
Butter and line the bottom of a 8 or 9 inch square pan with parchment paper. You could also line the sides of the pan with parchment paper, or simply butter and flour the sides. Set aside.
Preheat oven to 325°F / 165°C.
Place the butter and salt in a large bowl. With a hand mixer, or the paddle attachment on your stand mixer, beat the butter until light and creamy.
250 g unsalted butter, ¼ tsp sea salt
Then add the sugar, and cream the butter and sugar mixture for about 5 - 7 minutes on medium high speed. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl to make sure all the butter and sugar are well-mixed.
250 g white sugar
The mixture should be pale in color, light and very fluffy. This step is important, so make sure it has the right texture. Add the vanilla and continue to mix.
2 tsp vanilla extract
While you cream the butter and sugar mixture, prepare the eggs. Break the eggs open into a bowl (make sure there are no shells).
Add the eggs, one at a time, into the creamed butter-sugar mix. Make sure each egg addition is mixed in well before adding the next one. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl in between additions so that the eggs are mixed in well.
250 g eggs
Once the eggs are mixed through, the batter is ready for the dry ingredients.
Sift the flour and baking powder together. Place the room temperature milk in a small jug/container.
250 g all purpose flour, 2 tsp baking powder, 79 mL milk
Add the sifted dry ingredients in 3 - 4 additions, alternating with the milk, and ending with the dry ingredients. (Once you add the first portion of dry ingredients, FOLD it in with a spatula. Then add half of the milk and fold that into the mixture as well. Repeat with another portion of dry ingredients and the rest of the milk, then end with the final portion of dry ingredients.)
Make sure there are no flour lumps in the mixture at this point, but also be careful not to overmix the flour in the batter.
Scrape the batter into the prepared baking pan. Using an offset spatula, spread the batter evenly in the pan. Knock the pan against your kitchen counter 2 - 3 times to remove any trapped air bubbles and to evenly spread the batter in the pan.
Place the baking pan in the preheated oven, and bake for 35 - 40 minutes, until the cake is baked through. Rotate the pan once (carefully) halfway through the baking time. The cake is done when a toothpick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean, and the surface of the cake is slightly springy to the touch.
Remove the pan from the oven and let it cool down for 5 - 10 minutes. Carefully flip the cake out onto a cooling wire rack. Peel off the parchment paper, and then flip the cake over again (so that it's right side up). Use a cake lifter or a cutting board to help with this, because the cake is soft at this point and could break.
Let the cake cool completely. Store the cake in an air-tight container for up to 3 days, or in the fridge for up to 5 days. This cake (wrapped and stored in a container) will freeze very well, and can be stored in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Slice the cake into any size pieces. I have sliced them into 1” x 2” sized pieces in these photos (28 - 32 pieces). Serve immediately.
Notes
Storage
The cake can be stored in an air tight container and stored at room temperature for about 2 days. But I prefer to store it in the fridge. The cake will last in the fridge for about a week, but it is best eaten within 4 - 5 days. To make the cake last longer, cut the cake into pieces and then store it in an air tight container that is freezer safe. The cake will last in the freezer for upto 3 months. Place wax paper / parchment paper inbetween the cake pieces, so they would not stick together, and you can take out the pieces you want and let it thaw out to eat.