French Butter Cake Recipes

FRENCH BUTTER CAKES (MADELEINES)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Butter and flour 12 (3 inch) madeleine molds; set aside.
• Melt butter and let cool to room temperature.
• In a small mixing bowl, beat eggs, vanilla and salt at high speed until light.
• Beating constantly, gradually add sugar; and continue beating at high speed until mixture is thick and pale and ribbons form in bowl when beaters are lifted, 5 to 10 minutes.
• Sift flour into egg mixture 1/3 at a time, gently folding after each addition.
• Add lemon zest and pour melted butter around edge of batter. Quickly but gently fold butter into batter. Spoon batter into molds; it will mound slightly above tops.
• Bake 14 to 17 minutes, or until cakes are golden and the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertip.
• Use the tip of the knife to loosen madeleines from pan; invert onto rack. Immediately sprinkle warm cookies with granulated sugar. Madeleines are best eaten the day they're baked. Leftover madeleines are wonderful when dunked into coffee or tea.
• Variation: Chocolate Madeleines: Omit lemon zest. Increase sugar to 1/2 cup. Substitute 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder for 2 tablespoons of the flour; sift into batter with flour.

BUTTER CAKE I

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. For cupcakes: Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners. Set aside. For cake layers: Cut a long sheet of parchment or waxed paper into two 9-by-13-inch rectangles to line the bottom of two 9-by-13-inch baking pans. Butter and line pans. Butter linings, then flour pans, tapping out excess. Set aside. (Alternatively, if you have only one pan, set aside second piece of parchment paper to bake one layer at a time.)
• Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl; set aside. Put butter and sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; cream on medium-high speed until pale, 2 to 3 minutes. On medium speed, add eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition. Add vanilla, and mix, scraping down sides of bowl. With the mixer on low speed, add the flour mixture in three batches, alternating with two batches of milk. Stir with a rubber spatula until the batter is evenly blended.
• For cupcakes: Pour batter into lined cups, filling each two-thirds full. (You will have batter left over for additional batches; set aside.) For cake layers: Pour 2 3/4 cups batter into each prepared pan. Smooth the top of each layer with a small offset spatula.
• Bake until a cake tester inserted into centers comes out clean, 15 to 18 minutes for cupcakes, 20 to 25 minutes for layers.
• Let layers or cupcakes cool in pans on wire racks, 20 minutes. Run a knife around edges of cakes to loosen. Invert cake layers or cupcakes to remove from pans (peel off parchment from cake layers). Reinvert, and let cool completely on racks. Wrap in plastic wrap, and refrigerate until ready to decorate.
• For cupcakes (or cake layers, if baking in two batches): Repeat with remaining batter, lining muffin tin (or baking pan) when cooled.

FRENCH BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 350 degrees F.
• Cream butter or margarine in bowl. Beat in egg yolks. Mix well.
• Sift flour and salt onto board or into large bowl. Make a well in the center. Put sugar and egg-yolk mixture in well. Mix with flour gradually until blended.
• Mix in vanilla and orange liqueur or rum. Knead dough well.
• Turn into 9x9x2-inch pan. Spread evenly with spatula. Brush with beaten egg.
• Bake 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Cool in pan. Cake keeps several weeks wrapped in foil.

FRENCH BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Beat first layer with wooden spoon.
• Pat into 9 by 13 inch ungreased pan.
• Beat second layer well and pour on top of first layer.
• Bake at 350F degrees for 35 minutes.
• Sprinkle with powdered sugar when cool.

FRENCH BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Place the whole eggs and yolks in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until the eggs are pale yellow and thick, about 5 minutes. (The eggs will hold an indent made with your finger for a few seconds.)
• Meanwhile, pour the sugar and 1/3 cup water in a medium saucepan set over medium heat. Attach a candy thermometer to the side of the pan and bring to the soft-ball stage, without stirring, 240 degrees F.
• Begin whipping the eggs again on medium-high speed and slowly drizzle in the hot syrup, aiming the syrup between the side of the bowl and the beaters. Continue to whip until both the bottom of the bowl and the mixture are cool, 10 to 15 minutes. The mixture should be thick, but will not form a peak at this point. Beat in the salt.
• While still beating on medium-high, add the butter, a few pieces at a time. As the butter is added, the buttercream may appear to thin out some, but it will thicken into firm peaks once all of the butter is added. Beat in the vanilla extract.
• Use right away or refrigerate in an airtight container overnight. The buttercream may need to be beaten again to smooth out before using.

FRENCH VANILLA BUTTER CAKE WITH RASPBERRY FILLING

Steps:

• ---Cake---.
• Preheat oven to 350F, grease a 10" springform pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cornstarch, nutmeg, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
• In a large bowl, cream together butter and vanilla sugar until fluffy.
• Add egg yolks, honey and vanilla, beating well.
• In a cup or small bowl, stir together buttermilk and yogurt until smooth.
• Beginning and ending with the dry ingredients, alternate additions of flour and buttermilk mixtures, beating well after each one.
• With clean beaters, whip egg whites until soft peaks, fold into the batter.
• Pour into the prepared pan.
• Bake on the lowest rack of the oven, covering with foil halfway through, 55-60 minutes, until it tests done.
• Cool in the pan 1 hour, then refrigerate a minimum of 1 hour before unmoulding.
• ---Vanilla-Raspberry Filling---.
• Dissolve the sugar and salt in the boiling water. Cool to room temperature.
• Add the meringue powder and use a mixer to beat on slow speed until the powder is dissolved and the mixture is foamy.
• Increase the speed and beat 3-4 minutes longer.
• Beat in the vanilla followed by the icing sugar.
• Add the butter and shortening a few tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition, then beat in the puree and lemon juice.
• Chill 30 minutes before use.
• ---Very Vanilla Buttercream Frosting---.
• Dissolve the sugar and salt in the boiling water. Cool to room temperature.
• Add the meringue powder and use a mixer to beat on slow speed until the powder is dissolved and the mixture is foamy.
• Increase the speed and beat 3-4 minutes longer.
• Beat in the vanilla followed by the icing sugar.
• Add the butter and shortening a few tablespoons at a time, beating well after each addition. Continue beating until mixture is thick, creamy and fluffy.
• Chill 30 minutes before use.
• ---Ganache---.
• In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over low heat, melt together chocolate, cream and shortening until smooth.
• Remove from heat and allow to cool 10 minutes. Gently re-warm if necessary for even spreading.
• ---Assembly---.
• Level the top of the well-chilled cake and slice horizontally into three even layers.
• Place bottom layer on a cake round.
• With an offset spatula or palette knife, spread ½ of the Vanilla-Raspberry Filling in an even layer over the bottom round and top with the second layer.
• Spread second layer with remaining ½ of the filling and place the final layer on top.
• Using some of the remaining frosting, apply a thin "crumb coat" over the entire outside of the cake.
• Refrigerate 1 hour.
• Finish covering the top and sides of cake with the remaining frosting, making it as smooth as possible.
• Freeze 30 minutes.
• Pour ganache gently onto the centre of the top of the cake and spread to form "drips" or a "shadow" effect down the sides.
• Allow cake to set at room temperature, then keep in the refrigerator until serving.

CLASSIC BRETON BUTTER CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.
• Sift both flours, baking powder, and salt into a large bowl; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the egg yolks and sugar on medium-high speed until doubled in volume and pale yellow, 2 to 3 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed. Add the butter in four parts, beating until completely combined after each, 1 to 2 minutes total. With the mixer on low speed, add flour mixture, beating until combined.
• Transfer batter to prepared pan; with a small offset spatula, spread batter and smooth top. (If necessary, chill batter for 10 minutes before smoothing.) Refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Remove pan from refrigerator. Brush top with beaten egg, and mark a crosshatch pattern with a knife. Brush again with egg. Bake until cake is deep golden brown and edges pull away from sides of pan, 40 to 45 minutes. Cover with foil if browning too quickly.
• Transfer to a wire rack to cool slightly. Remove cake from pan, and slice while still warm.