Very Rich Butter Cake

Update! Dear readers, I hear you! You’ve been telling me how you all absolutely love the flavour of this cake, but would love to see how it’s really done. So, I’ve now included step-by-step photos, more detailed tips and instructions, which I hope will offer greater clarity and precision to your bakes. Which also means that this post just got a whole lot longer, but so much better, I promise! It’s so important to me that you can easily, confidently and successfully bake up this dreamy, rich and super moist butter cake. Skip right to the end of this post (just before the recipe) for my updates!

If you had to imagine how traditional Nonya butter cakes used to be in the past, this would have to be it. Very rich, very decadent, very moist, and very, very buttery. Just sweet enough, with the lightest hint of vanilla. So simple, so basic, but so delicious. How can anyone resist a slice?

This rich butter cake reminds me of the time during my college years, when I used to have these crazy cravings for really rich Asian-style butter cakes, the kind that you can get your fingers greasy, just by touching. I know! May not be heart-healthy, but certainly taste-worthy!

Living in Canada, I couldn’t exactly find any butter cake quite like it. Not even in the popular bakeries in Chinatown. Out of longing, I tried making my own from scratch. This was way before the era of the internet and the world wide web. Before I was able to afford my first recipe book. And when the only cooking shows I was even remotely aware of were ‘Wok with Yan’ and ‘The Martha Stewart Show’.

INGREDIENTS

• (310) g plain flour
• 1 tsp fine salt
• 10  egg whites
• 310 g caster sugar
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 10  egg yolks, lightly beaten
• 455 g butter (or use 350 g for a less rich version)
• 6 tbsp condensed milk
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 drops almond essence
• 2 tsp brandy

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Pre-heat oven to 175 deg C (350 deg F). Place oven rack in the bottom one-third of the oven. Lightly grease the base and sides of cake pan with butter, and sprinkle lightly with flour. Tap out the excess flour.
2. Sift flour with salt twice.
3. In an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, whip egg whites on medium-high speed (speed 4 on my Kitchen Aid mixer). Once whites get foamy, stop the mixer and sprinkle baking powder over the whites. Turn on the mixer, and whip to mix well. Add sugar, a little at a time, in a steady stream. Continue whipping on medium-high speed until thick or just about stiff peak stage. Reduce speed, and add the beaten egg yolks, a little at a time. Continue whipping for 1 minute after all the yolks have been added, until thick and creamy. Pour out into a large mixing bowl.
4. .......................................

for full recipes please see : www.foodelicacy.com

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