Birthday Cake: A Labor of Love (Farmhouse Buttermilk Cake)
We celebrated a couple of family birthdays in June. Most notably my kid’s and my brother’s. They share the same day, just different year, different decade, but at least not a different century. The day my kid was born I had actually invited my brother down for dinner, a birthday bbq, since I was not allowed to travel too far from home. As we, I should say “they”, my brother, his wife, my mom and hubby enjoyed a dinner of rib eye steaks and the fixings, I sat on the couch, trying to regulate my breathing and ignore the pain. I finally couldn’t take it anymore and unceremoniously shoved the chocolate birthday cake I had made into his chest; wished him a happy birthday, and told him (with clenched teeth), eat the cake at home, I was headed to the hospital.
Whenever possible, we celebrate their birthdays together. An excuse for a family get together and to retell (ad nauseam) to unknowing guests, the “birth”day story. This year’s celebration was a bit more significant, the kid turns 25 and the bro signs up for Medicare, lol. Time marches on.
The request came through from the birthday boys for Wes’s Carrot Cake. Good choice, it was delicious and I was off the hook. But what to do with the extra buttermilk in the fridge?
I think my FB page has ESP, smack dab in the middle of my newsfeed, a recipe popped up for Farmhouse Buttermilk Cake. Not only did the recipe have buttermilk, it included my favorite nut, pecans, in a caramel-like topping on top of a tender, tangy, buttermilk cake.
Pulling out my cake pan now.
The recipe, originally from King Arthur Flour, and then tweaked by The Cafe Sucre Farine is a winner. A tender crumb cake topped with a caramel-like nutty topping is sweet, salty, and buttery, everything a little slice of heaven should be.
The cake is a snap to make. You could easily make this with a bowl and a wooden spoon. Taking the lazy way out, I used my mixer. Classic directions, cream butter and sugar, add wet then dry, pour into pan and bake. See, how easy is that? I used the proportions from Cafe Sucre Farine to make a 9-inch round cake. King Arthur Flour’s recipe makes a 9×13 cake, so if you are feeding a crowd, go to KA site for the recipe.
While the cake is baking, make the topping. Don’t make it too soon as it will cool and thicken. You want it warm so it is pourable. You could easily substitute any nut you like, almonds, walnuts or even a mix of nuts would work. I followed CSF’s lead and sprinkled some flake salt at the end to really pump up that play on sweet and salty. YUM.
Bake the cake for approximately 30 minutes, top with the pecan-sugar mixture and bake an additional 10 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle with flake salt. Not TOO much, just a hint. Let cool. The cake can be served warm but I think the flavors come out when the cake is allowed to cool and rest. The topping hardens a bit as it cools.
Perfect with coffee, tea or an ice cold glass of milk!
Farmhouse Buttermilk Cake
Equipment
- Mixer
- 9" cake pan
Ingredients
For the cake:
- ¼ cup butter soft
- 1 cup light brown sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
For the topping:
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons half and half
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup diced pecans
Instructions
For the cake:
- Preheat the oven to 350°Spray a 9" round cake pan with baking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
- Combine flour, baking soda and salt in a small bowl and set aside.
- Combine the butter and brown sugar in mixer bowl on medium-low speed until smooth
- Add the egg, beating again till smooth.
- Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla extract.
- Sprinkle dry ingredient mix evenly over the top and stir until well combined.
- Pour the batter into prepared pan.
- Bake the cake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and/or the cake springs back when lightly touched in the center.
- During the last 10-15 minutes of baking time, prepare topping. Stir the butter and the sugar together. Add the milk, pecans, and salt. The glaze will be thick, but pourable.
- After the cake has baked for 30 minutes, pour the topping over the cake and return it to the oven for another 10 minutes (for a total baking time of 40 minutes). Remove cake from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes in the pan. Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt, if desired and serve warm or at room temperature. Topping firms up as the cake cools.
- Cake can be served with ice cream, well that's my suggestion, vanilla ice cream-nom,nom.
Notes