Bonniebuttercake Recipes

BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease an 8-inch square baking pan. Line bottom with parchment or wax paper, or dust lightly with flour.
• Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder.
• Beat butter and white sugar until fluffy and light in color. Gradually add eggs, beating well after each addition; stir in vanilla. Add the sifted dry ingredients to the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Stir until just blended (see Cook's Note for Blueberry Cake variation). Pour batter into prepared pan.
• Bake at 350 degrees F (175 degrees C) for until cake springs back when lightly touched, about 30 minutes. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto wire rack to cool completely.

WILLIAMS-SONOMA'S BROWN BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Have all the ingredients at room temperature.
• In a saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter, then cook until the solids separate and settle on the pan bottom, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Continue to cook until the solids brown and are almost burnt, 18 to 20 minutes more.
• Pour the brown butter into a bowl, leaving the solids in the pan (discard the solids).
• Let the butter cool at room temperature until firm.
• The brown butter can be prepared up to 2 days in advance; cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
• Bring to room temperature before using.
• Position a rack in the lower third of an oven and preheat to 325°F
• Brush the pan with unsalted vegetable shortening and lightly flour.
• Tap out excess flour.
• Over a sheet of waxed paper, sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.
• In a small bowl, combine the milk and vanilla.
• Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the flat beater, beat the brown butter on medium speed until creamy and smooth, 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add the granulated sugar and brown sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Reduce the speed to low and add the flour mixture in three additions, alternating with the milk mixture and beginning and ending with the flour.
• Beat each addition just until incorporated, stopping the mixer occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl.
• Spoon the batter into the prepared pan, dividing it evenly between the two halves. Bake until the center of the cake springs back when touched and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.
• Transfer the pan to a wire rack and let the cake cool in the pan for 15 minutes.
• Tap the pan gently on a work surface to loosen the cake.
• Set the rack over the top of the cake, invert the pan onto the rack and lift off the pan.
• Let the cake cool completely, 3 to 4 hours, before assembling and decorating with vanilla buttercream.
• If you're using a 9x13 pan:.
• Butter and flour pan.
• Spoon cake mix into pan and smooth out.
• Bake at 325°F for 30-45 minutes, using a toothpick to test doneness.
• Cool for 15 minutes and remove from pan; setting cake on cooling rack to cool completely.
• Frost as desired.

BUTTER RUM BONNIE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. While waiting, grease and flour a 13x9 inch pan. You can also use two 9 inch pans or three 8 inch pans if you prefer a layer cake.
• Start with the cake ingredients. In a large mixing bowl, mix the sugar, butter, eggs and vanilla on low speed until the mixture begins to get fluffy. This usually takes two or three minutes if your butter is nice and soft.
• Beat the mixture on high speed (the highest your mixer will go!) for five minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl to ensure complete mixing. This step is very important; do not skip it to save time! It will make all the difference in the fluffiness of the cake. The mixture should be pale and resemble cheesecake filling by the time you are finished mixing.
• Beat in the flour, baking powder, salt and milk alternately on low speed. The mixture will thicken considerably as more flour is added. This is great for giving those arm muscles a workout!
• Add the rum or rum flavoring and give the mixture a final mix on low speed. You can add a little more rum if you're so inclined, but too much will ruin the consistency of the cake. Save it for the glaze or get yourself a drink!
• Pour the mixture into your pan(s).
• Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. For 13x9 pans this is approximately 45-50 minutes; for layers this is approximately 30-35 minutes.
• Let the cake cool while you make the glaze.
• Heat the butter in a small saucepan over low heat until it is fully melted.
• Slowly add the rum or rum flavoring and the powdered sugar. Make sure you take the time to dissolve the sugar, it can take a few minutes to fully melt. The glaze should thicken considerably by the time the last of the sugar is added. You can add more rum than the amount listed if you're so inclined, but too much will cause consistency problems.
• If the glaze is too thick, add hot water one tablespoon at a time until it reaches the consistency you want. For this cake I prefer leaving it on the thicker side (1-2 tablespoons of water at the most) but it is a matter of personal taste.
• Add the nutmeg and cinnamon. These spices are optional, but they add a lot of character to the glaze and give it a flavor similar to a hot buttered rum - yum! Add more if you like this combination, the amounts listed are conservative for what my family in particular enjoys!
• Let the glaze cool for a minute or two and then pour it over the top of the cooled cake. Use a spatula or spoon to help make sure the cake gets fully covered if the glaze is on the thicker side. To really make sure the glaze gets into the cake, you can poke holes in the top of the cake with a fork before pouring - this will help the cake soak up the glaze.
• Let the cake sit for at least half an hour before serving. This will give the glaze time to harden up a little and become more like a smooth frosting than a wet glaze.
• Serve and enjoy! You can sprinkle a little extra nutmeg and cinnamon over the top for presentation, but I've found that the taste of the cake requires no bells and whistles to get attention! It may look and feel simple, but this is deceptive once you get a taste of what you've made.