French Butter Cake
This soft and buttery French Butter Cake features granulated sugar, eggs, sour cream, vanilla, and cake flour—topped with a crisp sugar crust.
12 Servings
Ingredients
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 1 cup 2 sticks unsalted butter, melted
- 3 large eggs at room temperature
- 2½ teaspoons vanilla extract
- 2 cups cake flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- ⅔ cup sour cream
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar for topping
Instructions
Preheat the Oven and Prepare the Pan
- Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease a 9x9-inch baking dish thoroughly with butter or nonstick spray and set aside.
Combine Sugar and Butter
- In a large mixing bowl, combine 1 cup of granulated sugar with the melted butter. Mix using a hand mixer or whisk for approximately 1 minute, or until the mixture appears smooth and slightly airy.
Incorporate Eggs and Vanilla
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract and mix until fully incorporated.
Sift and Add Dry Ingredients
- In a separate bowl, sift together the cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Gradually add the dry mixture to the wet ingredients, stirring just until combined. Avoid overmixing.
Fold in Sour Cream
- Gently fold in the sour cream using a spatula or wooden spoon until the batter is smooth and evenly mixed. The batter will be thick.
Transfer to Baking Dish and Add Topping
- Pour the batter into the prepared baking dish, smoothing the top evenly. Sprinkle the remaining 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar evenly over the surface of the batter.
Bake and Cool
- Bake in the preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean or with only a few moist crumbs. Remove from oven and allow the cake to cool in the pan before slicing and serving.
Notes
To make this French Butter Cake gluten free, substitute the cake flour with a 1:1 gluten-free baking flour blend that includes xanthan gum or another binder. For a similar texture to cake flour, sift the gluten-free flour before using, and ensure all other ingredients (particularly baking powder and vanilla extract) are certified gluten-free.