Vanilla Buttermilk Cake

Vanilla Buttermilk Cake - made September 5, 2021 from I Scream for Buttercream 

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 cups sugar

1 teaspoon salt

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

3 large eggs

1 large egg yolk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, cut into tablespoons

Glaze

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

1/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 cup buttermilk

2 cups confectioners' sugar

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line a 9 x 13" pan with foil and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray.
2. In a large mixing bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, whisk together flour, sugar, salt, baking powder and baking soda. 
3. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, whole eggs, egg yolk, vanilla extract and vegetable oil.
4. Add the butter to the dry ingredients and mix on low speed until the flour mixture becomes crumbly and resembles sand.
5. Add in half the liquid and mix on medium speed until just incorporated. Add the remaining liquid and mix until just incorporated. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat briefly. Do not overmix.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes or until toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean or with a few moist crumbs.
7. Remove cake from oven and poke holes into cake with a skewer.
8. Once cake is out of the oven, immediately make glaze: melt the butter in a saucepan over medium-low heat. When butter is completely melted, turn off heat and add brown sugar, vanilla and buttermilk. Stir until sugar is dissolved. Add in the confectioners' sugar and stir until well combined and any clumps have dissolved.
9. Once cake has been out of the oven for 15 minutes, pour the warm glaze over the warm cake. Let glaze set before cutting and serving cake.

Expect to see a few more recipes that use buttermilk since I'm still working my way through the half gallon of it before the expiration date. I'm glad I have local recipients for cakes and other more fragile/short shelf life baked goods so I can bake more than the usual cookies and brownies I send in care packages.

This is another good cake recipe to bake for a crowd and is simple and easy to make. The cake itself isn't that sweet so the glaze adds just the right touch. When doing the toothpick test, the toothpick inserted in a corner or at the edge should come out clean and one inserted in the center should come out with a few moist crumbs. Then you know it's done.