Butter Cake with Buttercream Icing

What better way to start the New Year than with a celebratory cake and a new cake mixer. It is'nt any mixer it's a KitchenAid, something which I have been eyeing for quite a while. Santa must have figured that I have been such a good girl that I deserve a nice Christmas gift. I got the cake recipe from a friend who's aunty had pass it down to her so I know it's a tried and tested recipe, I adapted the recipe by adding a few extra ingredients to it.

My new shiny mixer

Ingredients:

• 195gm plain flour 
• 1 1/2tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 170gm butter 
• 225gm caster sugar
• 1 large egg plus a egg yolk
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 12 tbsp full cream milk
• 2 tbsp cognac

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 190 degrees celcius. Butter and line a 8-inch cake pan.
2. In a medium bowl whisk together flour, baking powder and salt.
3. Using a mixer on medium speed, cream butter and sugar until pale and fluffy for about 2 mins.
4. Beat in egg, egg yolk, vanilla and cognac until well combined.
5. On low speed, add flour mixture in 3-parts alternating with milk.
6. Switch mixer to medium and beat for 10 to 15 seconds, just until batter appears uniform.
7. Pour batter into prepared pan and smooth top with a spatula.
8. Bake for about 40 mins, test by inserting a skewer into centre of cake and if it comes out clean the cake is ready.
9. Leave to cool in pan.

Buttercream Icing:

• 200gm butter
• 8 cups icing sugar 
• 2 tbsp milk 
• food colouring of your choice

Method:

1. Beat all ingredients in a mixer until well combined.
2. Add more milk if the mixture is too thick.

Note: I had double the quantity of the cake batter to make 2 as I wanted a double layer cake

I had not taken pictures of the icing process as it got a little messy and it was hard trying to juggle the camera on one hand and the piping bag on the other. Spread a little icing on a cake board, this stops the cake from moving about and put on the first layer. Using a spatula spread a thin layer on the top and place the second layer on top. Spread the whole cake with icing to crumb coat it, this makes it easy to pipe. I use a wilton 1M tip to get the rose effect.

I got a lot of compliments for the deco although as you can see from the picture above my icing was not as evenly spread out in the centre as I would like it to be but for a first attempt I must say it was pretty good. As the saying goes practice makes perfect. The cake was absolutely divine, it was buttery and moist and not oily at all. This is definitely a recipe I'll be using again and again.