Eggless Butter Cake

Did I say rich with butter? Of course yes. I feel a butter cake needs to have decent amounts of butter as it is one of the main ingredient. If less butter is used, then it won’t be butter cake but just a simple vanilla cake flavored with some butter.

Due to the amount of butter used in the recipe (and it is not extravagant) this cake has a mix of soft as well as a slight dense texture reminiscing of a pound cake. You will simply love this cake and make it again and again.

Being lightly dense and filling, this butter cake goes extremely well with a side of coffee, tea or milk. This egg free butter cake recipe is also very easy to make. Since this butter cake has full flavors of butter, there is no need to top the cake with any kind of icing.

While making cakes where butter is one of the main ingredient, a few key points have to be remembered.

HOW TO MAKE BUTTER CAKE?

A) sifting dry ingredients

1. Take all the ingredients and keep them ready – 200 grams butter, 400 grams sweetened condensed milk (or 1 can), 1.5 levelled cups all purpose flour (or 188 grams maida) and vanilla extract.

2. Keep a sieve on top of a bowl. Add the all purpose flour in the sieve

3. Now add ⅛ teaspoon salt (2 to 3 pinches). If using salted butter, then skip adding salt.

4. Add 1.5 levelled teaspoon baking powder.

5. Begin to sift the dry ingredients.

6. Keep the sifted dry ingredients aside.

7. Grease a loaf pan measuring 8.5 x 4.5 x 2.5 inches with butter and keep aside. You can also use a round pan of 7 or 7.5 inches diameter. You can line the pan with parchment paper or butter paper and then grease. Also preheat oven at 170 degrees celsius.

8. Take unsalted butter in the stand mixer bowl. The butter should be softened and not hard, but not melted or liquid.

9. With the paddle attachment attached to the mixer, whip the butter on high speed of 9 to 10 till the butter becomes light and fluffy. Do not over do the beating. While beating, stop at intervals and scrape off the butter from the sides and add in the center of the bowl.

10. After whipping, the butter should become light and fluffy.

11. Then add 1 can sweetened condensed milk (400 grams) to the whipped butter.

12. Then add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract or ½ teaspoon vanilla essence.

13. Using the stand mixer at low speed of 1, mix everything till blended well.

14. Do not overdo the mixing at this step. Just mix everything well and then stop.

15. Now add the sifted dry ingredients.

16. With a spatula just lightly mix everything so that the flour particles do not fly when you start the stand mixer.

17. On a low speed of 1, mix everything well. Do not overdo the mixing as then gluten strands may form which will ruin the structure of the cake while baking.

18. Just mix well and then stop.

19. Now using a silicon spatula, pour the butter cake batter in the greased loaf pan.

20. Shake the pan so that the batter moves and settles down at the sides and bottom. Level the butter cake batter with a spatula.

21. Bake eggless butter cake at 170 degrees in convection oven (convection ovens have a fan). In an oven without a fan bake at 180 degrees celsius. Keep the pan in the center rack with the bottom heating element on

22. Since condensed milk is added, this cake browns faster from the edges and top. So cover the top with an aluminium foil. Lightly cover and do not press it on the pan. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes till the top looks golden. Since temperature varies from oven to oven, keep a check. Also do not open the oven door many times. Only open after ¾ of the baking is done.

23. Check with a toothpick and it should be clean.

24. Keep the pan on a wired tray for the cake to cool.

25. Once the cake is cooled completely at room temperature, then slice it. this butter cake keeps well outside if the temperature is very cold and freezing. In an Indian climate, during winters, keep for 1 to 2 days at room temperature. Later keep in fridge. After keeping in fridge the butter will solidify in the cake. So while serving warm the cake in an oven or keep at room temperature for some time.

26. Serve butter cake just plain or as an evening sweet snack with milk, tea or coffee.