Soft Cotton Butter Cake
This cake is moist and delicious, perfect for any time of the day with a cup of tea. Start by cutting softened unsalted butter into smaller pieces and placing them into a bowl of a stand mixer then add sugar with a pinch of salt and cream everything together on high speed for 4 minutes or until creamy, fluffy and pale, scrape the sides of the bowl occasionally when mixing. Separate egg yolks from the egg whites and set them aside.
Add 15 ml of milk and vanilla extract for flavouring and mix it in until combined then add the egg yolks one at a time and mix until combined before adding another yolk. In a separate bowl, sift in cake flour and baking powder then whisk to combine. Add the sifted flour to the butter mixture and using a spatula, mix until the flour is moistened then set the batter aside and work on the egg whites.
In a clean bowl with the egg whites, add half a teaspoon of cream of tartar and start mixing on low speed until foamy then add half a cup of sugar slowly while mixing it on medium speed until the egg whites reach a stiff peak, this should take about 10 minutes. Fold the egg whites into the batter in three batches, fold until the whites disappear before adding the next batch and do not overmix the batter.
If the batter is a little curdling, just keep adding more egg white and folding until everything is combined. Transfer the batter to a parchment-lined 9 by 3 round cake tin pan and bake in a 320 degrees Fahrenheit preheated oven for 55 to 60 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. This cake is light and fluffy, you can serve it with cream on the side or eat it plain as it is.
Ingredients;
- 150g [½ cup + 2 tbsp] unsalted butter
- 5 egg yolks
- 50g [¼ cup] fine sugar
- ½ tsp salt
- 15g [1 tbsp] milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 100g [¾ cup + 1 tbsp] cake flour OR all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
Meringue;
- 5 egg whites
- ½ tsp cream of tartar
- 50g [¼ cup] fine sugar
Instructions:
- Preheat oven at 160°C/320°F then cut the butter into chunks to speed up the softening and add into a large bowl.
- Separate the egg whites from the yolks and place them in clean bowls.
- In the bowl of softened butter, add sugar, and mix on high speed for about 3-4 minutes. In between add milk and vanilla extract. Continue mixing on high speed until creamy, fluffy and pale.
- Add in the egg yolks, one at a time and mix until the yolk disappears before adding another.
- Sift in the dry ingredients (flour and baking powder) then using a spatula fold in just until the flour disappears, do not over-mix. Set aside while working on the egg whites.
- Add cream of tartar to the bowl of egg whites. Mix on low speed for a few seconds until foamy. Add in the sugar in 3 batches. Continue to mix at high speed until stiff peaks form.
- Fold the egg whites into the yolk batter in 3 batches. Fold just until the whites disappear, then add in another batch, and fold until it’s incorporated.
- Transfer the batter into a buttered and parchment-lined baking pan then tap the pan on the table a few times to release air bubbles.
- Bake in a preheated oven at 160°C/320°F for 55-60 min or until the inserted skewer comes out clean.