Easy Farmhouse Buttermilk Cake (small batch)

  
Today I am sharing with you a fabulously old fashioned recipe for a quick and easy buttermilk cake that is so tasty, it will have your family and friends begging for seconds.  

Not only is it moist and delicious with a brown sugar buttermilk batter, but it boasts a lush pecan praline topping that is incredibly delicious!

This cake spells winner/winner from the top to the bottom!  It makes for a wonderful weekend dessert!  

 

I adapted the recipe from one that I found on the King Arthur Baking site.   The original recipe made a 9 by 13 inch cake, which is far too large for me these days.  If you are interested in the larger cake, by all means check it out! 

If you are interested in the smaller version, read on!

 

I feel like I need to apologize for my photographs.  I just don't get the light I need to take naturally great photos here in Canada. I sure miss my dining room window in the UK.  

I was able to take fairly decent photos on the top of my table for most of the day. Here, I am relegated to taking them from the top of a wooden TV table tray next to my living room window. And even then the lighting is not perfect.

 

Change is never easy and I have found this move from the UK back to Canada one of the most difficult ones in quite a few ways, not the least the way I have to do things here on the blog.   

I am really grateful for those of you who have stuck with me over this past year and a half. Thank you so much! I appreciate your faithfulness very much. More than you will ever know. Now back to the cake.

 

This really is an amazing cake, the way that most buttermilk cakes are amazing. The texture is incredibly moist. Both the buttermilk and the use of brown sugar work towards that end.

Not only is it incredibly moist, but it goes together very easily. You don't even need an electric mixer to make it. I did this cake today using only a bowl and a wooden spoon. Just like in the good old days.

That praline topping is this cakes crowning glory.  Buttery, sweet caramel flavored, and chock full of toasted pecans nuts, it bakes onto the cake during the last 10 minutes of the cakes bake time.

Sweet, sticky perfection. This is a lovely cake that you really don't want to miss out on!

 

WHAT YOU NEED TO MAKE FARMHOUSE BUTTERMILK CAKE

Simple every day ingredients and I have substitutions for some of them if you are not able to get them.

For the cake:

• ¼ cup (60g) butter, room temperature
• 1 cup (200g) soft light brown sugar (packed)
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ (210g) cups all-purpose plain flour

For the praline topping:

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• ½ cup (100g) soft light brown sugar (packed)
• 1 TBS milk
• 1 TBS cream
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup (90g) chopped toasted pecan nuts

 

I just use regular salted butter and plain all purpose flour. I always use large free range eggs. One does the trick perfectly with this recipe. 

If you are measuring the soft light brown sugar by cups, it should be measured into the cup and then packed down firmly to fill the cup.

Also if you are measuring the flour by cups, spoon the flour into the cups and level them off with the straight side of a knife.

Butter milk is an ingredient that I can appreciate not all people have access to. You can very easily make your own substitution by one of two ways.

 

First add a TBS of either lemon juice or white vinegar to a measuring cup. Add whole milk to make up the measure, stir and leave it to clabber for 5 to 10 minutes.

Second, you can whisk together equal measures of whole fat milk and plain yogurt to make up the amount of buttermilk needed. Works a charm.

 

HOW TO MAKE FARMHOUSE BUTTERMILK CAKE

Nothing could be simpler. Trust me. You can mix this easy cake altogether in a bowl with a wooden spoon.

Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch deep cake tin and line with some baking parchment, leaving an overhang to lift the cake out with.

Cream the butter and brown sugar together with a wooden spoon. Beat in the egg and vanilla, until smooth. Beat in the buttermilk.

Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Sprinkle over top of the wet ingredients and beat all together until well combined. Pour into your prepared pan.

Bake for 30 minutes.

 

While the cake is baking, whisk together the praline topping ingredients. At the end of 30 minutes, remove the cake from the oven. Pour the topping over top of the cake spreading it out to cover the top completely. (It will appear thick but be easy to spread)Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes. 

Remove from the oven and leave in the pan to cool for 20 minutes. Lift out onto a wire rack to cool completely. The topping will firm up as the cake cools. Cut into wedges to serve.

We enjoyed this cake with  a dollop of whipped cream on top, but vanilla ice cream would also go very well. I am thinking that Butter Pecan would also be very nice as would butterscotch ripping. Now that, my friends, sounds incredibly delicious! 

A fan of buttermilk cakes? (And who isn't!!)  You may enjoy these other buttermilk cake recipes which I have posted through the years. I can promise you each one is delicious in its own right! 

GRANDMOTHER'S BUTTERMILK CAKE -  A lovely moist and uncomplicated vanilla butter cake with a tender delicious crumb. An 8-inch square cake that you can bake and serve from the same tin! I like to frost it with a chocolate icing and sprinkle with mini chocolate candy buttons.

RHUBARB  BUTTERMILK PICNIC CAKE - This is the best rhubarb cake going. Left on its own, plain, it makes the perfect snacking cake. Lovely with an ice cold glass of milk, or with a cup of your favorite hot drink.  Add a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream to dress it up for dessert. Its also delicious served with a simple vanilla buttercream frosting.

Farmhouse Buttermilk Cake

Yield: 12

Author: Marie Rayner

Prep time: 10 MinCook time: 40 MinTotal time: 50 Min

This is a moist and delicious old fashioned brown sugar buttermilk cake with its sweet pecan praline topping is destined to become a firm family favorite.

Ingredients

For the cake:

• ¼ cup (60g) butter, room temperature
• 1 cup (200g) soft light brown sugar (packed)
• 1 large egg
• 1 cup (240ml) buttermilk
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ (210g) cups all-purpose plain flour

For the praline topping:

• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• ½ cup (100g) soft light brown sugar (packed)
• 1 TBS milk
• 1 TBS cream
• ⅛ teaspoon salt
• ¾ cup (90g) chopped toasted pecan nuts

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 350*F/180*C/ gas mark 4. Butter a 9 inch deep cake tin and line with some baking parchment, leaving an overhang to lift the cake out with.
2. Cream the butter and brown sugar together with a wooden spoon. Beat in the egg and vanilla, until smooth. Beat in the buttermilk.
3. Sift together the flour, baking soda and salt. Sprinkle over top of the wet ingredients and beat all together until well combined. Pour into your prepared pan.
4. Bake for 30 minutes.
5. While the cake is baking, whisk together the praline topping ingredients.
6. At the end of 30 minutes, remove the cake from the oven. Pour the topping over top of the cake spreading it out to cover the top completely. (It will appear thick but be easy to spread)
7. Return to the oven for a further 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and leave in the pan to cool for 20 minutes. Lift out onto a wire rack to cool completely. The topping will firm up as the cake cools.
8. Cut into wedges to serve.

Did you make this recipe?

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