A butter cake for all reasons
Thank goodness I remember the litany of the other ingredients, which I recited as a youngster while watching Mom make her mother's cake: 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour, 4 eggs - and also some baking powder, salt and vanilla.
Creaming the butter until almost fluffy and whipping the eggs until light colored and foamy contribute to the cake's rise.
1 cup unsalted butter, softened + more for the cake pan3 cups all-purpose flour + more for dusting1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt2 cups sugar4 large eggs, room temperature2 teaspoons vanilla extract1 cup whole milk, room temperature1 cup powdered sugar, sifted (optional)2 tablespoons lemon juice, strained (optional)Instructions:
In a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar at medium speed until light colored and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
Use the same stand mixer bowl and the whisk attachment at medium-high speed to beat the eggs until light colored and foamy, about 3 minutes.
Add the butter mixture to the eggs and beat on low speed until incorporated, stopping to scrape the bowl as needed.
At low speed and mixing just until incorporated, add the flour mixture to the butter-egg mixture in three additions, alternating with two additions of the milk; stop to scrape as needed.
Per serving: 334 calories, 5 g protein, 47 g carbohydrate, 14 g fat (8 g saturated), 92 mg cholesterol, 175 mg sodium, 1 g fiber.