Sri Lankan Butter Cake

The easiest cake you will ever bake

Have you ever wished you had your own little piece of heaven?

Well, a piece of this fluffy, moist, and delicious butter cake is the next best thing!

I’ve been traveling to heaven and back ever since I was just a seven-year-old mixing together the creamy buttery batter beside my mother. Be it birthdays, new year, or Christmas, you would find us in the kitchen mixing together our piece of heaven with flour, eggs, sugar, and margarine. It was a simple recipe, but in that simplicity was the magic that fueled my love for the oven.

The butter cake is the perfect cake for beginners because there is almost nothing to mess up. It has a simple list of ingredients that will taste amazing no matter how you mix them together. The only thing to fear is the texture of the cake.

Do you want a cake that is dense, moist, and melts in your mouth as you bite into the sweet seductive pieces? The classic butter cake is what you should make.

Do you want a cake that is light, fluffy, and gently crumbles between your lips and tastes sweeter than your first kiss? The sponge butter cake is the cake you are looking for.

I have shared the recipe for the sponge butter cake here and the only difference is the way you add the eggs. If you are going for the classic, just add the eggs one by one into the batter while mixing. Either way, both methods taste amazing and like all my recipes, let your creativity run wild and see where your recipe takes you. But, before we dive into the ingredients,

A Bit of History

The Sri Lankan Butter cake is a slight variation of the classic British pound cake. Historians with a sweet tooth have traced its origins back to the 1700s. It was called a pound cake because the 4 ingredients used in the recipe were added in equal portions of one pound.

This divine classic made its way to India and the recipe inevitably trickled down to Sri Lanka where we put our own spin on the classic. The changes made were primarily due to the availability of ingredients and cheaper alternatives. At least, that the story my grandma told me.

Nevertheless, the final recipe is a sweet and fluffy cloud that is to die for.

Ingredients

2 cups or 250g of all-purpose flour

1 and 1/4 cup or 250g of white sugar

1 cup or 250g of margarine or butter

250g of eggs (About 4 or 5 medium eggs.)

1–2 tsp of vanilla essence (I use 2 for the great vanilla aroma.)

2 tsp baking powder (If you want the cake to rise! Flat cakes also taste good.)

A little lemon/lime zest

Making the batter

1. Mix together the margarine(you can also use butter but it is too expensive here in Sri Lanka) and sugar in a bowl until it is light and creamy.
2. Separate the egg whites and egg yolks into 2 different bowls, don’t let them mix.
3. Beat the egg whites until they are stiff, then give the yolks a quick whisk.
4. Mix in the flour and yolks into the creamy butter mixture little by little alternating between the two.
5. Add the vanilla and lime zest. The vanilla will give the cake its signature aroma and the lime zest will reduce the taste of the egg.
6. Gently fold in the egg whites next and be careful not to overbeat the mixture. The air trapped inside the eggwhites will make it extra fluffy!

Time to Bake

1. Butter and line the bottom of a baking pan/tray with parchment paper. This will make it easier to remove the cake.
2. Pour the batter into the baking tray and give it a quick jiggle to help it even out.
3. Bake in an oven preheated to 160℃. Baking time will depend on the type of baking tray you are using. We use an old 8.5 X 11-inch tray and it takes around 35 to 40 minutes. If you are using a deeper tray, it may take 45 to 55 minutes. The best thing to do is use the trusty old toothpick test.
4. Insert a toothpick into the center of the cake after 35 minutes. If it comes out clean, congratulations, you have a perfectly baked cake.
5. If it’s not ready, repeat the toothpick test after 10 minutes until the cake is baked.
6. After baking, take it out and let it cool.
7. Serve with a cup of milk tea or coffee and let your taste buds drift away into sweet serenity.

Fun Little Changes

1. Add in about 50g of cocoa powder for a no-hassle chocolate cake.
2. Separate the batter into 2 or 3 equal portions and add different food coloring to each. Then bake them separately and layer them with icing in between for a fun rainbow cake.
3. Not a fan of vanilla? Substitute it with almond extract and enjoy a completely different flavor.
4. Do you dare to make this cake feel even moister? Add 1/3 cup of milk to the mixture.
5. If you want to commit blasphemy, you can top the cake with icing.
6. The batter is also pretty good for cupcakes. Just put them in the right mold and bake for 25 to 30 minutes depending on the size. I love making mini cupcakes from this batter.

This is perfect to get kids involved too. Give them a smaller portion of batter so they can make their own flavored cupcake. It will be a fun experiment and moment to teach them that not everything goes together like marmite and chocolate😋.

Final Thoughts

I hope you enjoyed this simple recipe and it is just waiting for you to add your own little flavor. The butter cake is the canvas and you are the artist. Let your imagination run wild and make your very own piece of heaven.

Thank you for reading and have a great day!