Vanilla Buttermilk Cake

A simple, classic Vanilla Buttermilk Cake with buttercream frosting.

Friday morning — I’ve got a batch of those delicious banana muffins in the oven, a hot cup of coffee, and both girls are at school at the same time for a few more hours. I’d say I hardly know what to do with myself with this boon of several empty mornings a week except of course I do (shopping, run, work a little, chores, write!). After almost a year and a half of near-constant togetherness we are now pulling apart a bit and each getting to have some time to do our own thing. So far, it’s been quite lovely at least from my perspective.

This summer I was diagnosed with Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, an autoimmune condition that is managed with medication and also – groan – possibly with diet. In in an ironic twist, I am going to try going gluten-free for a month or so this fall, just to see if it helps with some symptoms. I say “ironic” because didn’t I write a gluten-free cookbook? but I was not gluten-free myself. I think it will be pretty easy to transition; nowadays there are so many gluten-free options in the pasta, bread, and sweets aisle (though I’m trying to stay away from too many sweets too) so instead of regular spaghetti I’ll use a gluten-free option. Almond flour has been my preferred non-gluten flour of choice because I love the extra nutrient hit from the nuts, but I’m excited to experiment with some gluten-free flour blends. It’s been awhile!

But before I get into that in a more serious way, I wanted to share this beautiful cake I made with Elsie last winter. For awhile Sierra and her dad would go for a Saturday hike and we’d stay home and bake and read and drink tea. This was a very fall/winter activity and I imagine that we’ll get back to this again soon once the weather changes and fire season is over. It’s a simple cake, included in a kids baking book gifted by their cousins, titled “Baking Class” and is so, so good, made with buttermilk and butter. This is not a healthy cake, but it’s luscious, perfect for a birthday or a special dinner.

Something about the coming of fall always has made me excited to get try some new things in the kitchen, or indulge in projects such as canning homemade jam or applesauce. We’re not quite there yet, but I feel the light changing ever so gently in the afternoon, promising us October sun and crisp air. Now that I have a tiny bit of free time I can pick our apples while sipping on a coffee in a more leisurely fashion once the girls are settled at school. I may even have time to plan some new recipes or get back to food writing/writing again. It’s been a long year and a half! I don’t know what the future looks like — still — but it’s certainly got to include cake.

[print_this]Buttermilk (Birthday) Cake

1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature/softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 cups whole wheat pastry flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk

Heat oven to 350 F. Butter and flour two 8 or 9-inch cake pan rounds or line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together using an electric mixer until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Beat in the eggs one at a time; add the vanilla.

In another large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder and salt. With mixer on low, add half the flour mixture to the butter and egg mixture and beat until just combined. Add the buttermilk and mix well to combine. Add the remaining flour mixture and beat until just combined, scraping down the bowl as necessary.

Pour batter into the prepared pans, place in the oven and bake for about 45 minutes, until a tester inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on a rack to cool for 15 minutes, then turn the cake out onto the rack to cool completely.

We used a simple buttercream frosting — 2 cup butter, at room temperature/softened, 3 1/2 cups confectioners sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, 3-4 tablespoons milk, and Elsie’s choice of food coloring — but this would be gorgeous with a chocolate ganache or even a maple-cream cheese frosting. [/print_this]