Busy day cake

Categories: cakes

Ingredients

• 1 stick (8 Tbsp.) unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• 2 tsp. vanilla extract
• 2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 2 1/2 - 4 tsp. baking powder (see headnote, above)
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1 good pinch freshly grated nutmeg, or more
• 1/2 cup whole milk, at room temperature

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 9” springform pan with butter or cooking spray. (Miss Lewis used a 10” x 10” pan, but I don’t have one. A 9” springform pan has a similar capacity.)

2. In the bowl of a stand mixer, blend the butter and the sugar until light and fluffy. One by one, add the eggs, beating well after each addition. Add the vanilla extract, and beat to blend.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg.

4. Add about ¼ of the flour mixture to the butter mixture, and beat on low speed to incorporate. Add 1/3 of the milk, and beat again. Add the remaining flour mixture in three more doses, alternating each time with a bit of milk, and beating to just combine. Do not overmix. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the sides of the bowl and stir to incorporate any flour not yet absorbed.

5. Scrape the batter into the prepared pan, spreading it evenly across the top. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. This cake has a tendency to brown quickly on top, so after about 20 minutes, you might want to peek into the oven and tent the cake with aluminum foil if necessary.

6. Serve warm.

7. Note: This cake is pretty wonderful plain, although it’s also good with crème fraîche, and I’ll bet it would be lovely with some warm, crushed berries.

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