Searching for Nana’s Favorite Cake Recipe means you’ve found a timeless treasure, a classic dessert that embodies comfort and delicious simplicity. This recipe is your gateway to a truly satisfying homemade treat, perfect for any occasion and guaranteed to bring smiles.
Key Ingredients for Nana’s Favorite Cake Recipe
* 2 cups all-purpose flour
* 1 ½ cups granulated sugar
* 1 teaspoon baking soda
* ½ teaspoon salt
* ½ cup unsalted butter, softened
* 2 large eggs
* 1 cup buttermilk
* ½ cup vegetable oil
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
* For the Frosting (Optional, but highly recommended):
* 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
* 3 cups powdered sugar
* ¼ cup milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
How to Make Nana’s Favorite Cake Recipe
Dive into the joy of baking with Nana’s Favorite Cake Recipe, a delightful journey that results in a tender, moist, and incredibly satisfying cake. Its simplicity is its charm, making it achievable for all skill levels, and the rich, melt-in-your-mouth texture is simply divine. Preparation time is approximately 20 minutes, with baking taking about 30-35 minutes.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- Preheat and Prepare: Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan, or line it with parchment paper. This ensures your cake releases cleanly after baking.
- Combine Dry Ingredients: In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Ensure these ingredients are well combined to distribute the leavening and salt evenly.
- Cream Butter and Sugar (for a richer cake, not strictly necessary for this recipe but a good option for variation): Optional step for enhanced flavor and texture: In a separate bowl, cream the softened butter with the granulated sugar until light and fluffy. This step is more traditional for some cake recipes and can add a lovely depth. For Nana’s original simplicity, you can skip creaming the butter by itself and proceed to adding it with the wet ingredients.
- Add Wet Ingredients (Butter Method): To the flour mixture, add the softened butter, eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.
- Mix the Batter: Using an electric mixer on low speed, or a whisk, begin to combine the wet and dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix at this stage, as it can develop the gluten in the flour and result in a tougher cake. A few small lumps are perfectly fine.
- Pour and Bake: Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan. The batter will be relatively thick. Smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake the Cake: Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The top should be golden brown and spring back slightly when lightly touched.
- Cool the Cake: Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10-15 minutes. This allows the cake to firm up slightly.
- Invert and Cool Completely: Carefully invert the cake onto the wire rack to cool completely. Ensure the cake is entirely cool before frosting. Frosting a warm cake will result in melted frosting.
- Prepare the Frosting (If using): While the cake cools, prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, alternating with the milk, until smooth and desired consistency is reached. Stir in the vanilla extract. Add more powdered sugar if you prefer a thicker frosting, or a splash more milk if it’s too stiff.
- Frost the Cake: Once the cake is completely cool, frost the top and sides with the prepared frosting. You can keep it simple with a rustic swirl or create more intricate designs.
Why You’ll Love This Nana’s Favorite Cake Recipe
This Nana’s Favorite Cake Recipe is an absolute hug in cake form! Its main feature is its incredibly moist and tender crumb, achieved through the perfect balance of buttermilk and oil, creating a texture that’s far superior to drier, box-mix alternatives. Making this cake at home is not only incredibly rewarding but also significantly more budget-friendly than purchasing a similar quality cake from a bakery, allowing you to indulge in homemade goodness without breaking the bank. The simple elegance of this cake, especially when adorned with a swirl of creamy vanilla frosting, makes it a standout, reminiscent of cherished childhood memories yet sophisticated enough for any gathering.
Forget fancy techniques or exotic ingredients; this recipe delivers pure, unadulterated cake bliss with minimal fuss. If you’ve ever enjoyed a classic vanilla pound cake, you’ll find this recipe offers a lighter, more yielding texture that’s just as delightful and satisfying. It’s the perfect canvas for a simple dusting of powdered sugar, a dollop of fresh berries, or a generous slathering of homemade frosting, making it a versatile treat for any occasion. Don’t wait – gather your ingredients and experience the timeless comfort of Nana’s Favorite Cake Recipe today!
Storing and Reheating Tips
To keep your Nana’s Favorite Cake Recipe tasting as delicious as the day it was baked, proper storage is key.
- Room Temperature Storage: If frosted with a stable buttercream frosting, the cake can be stored at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Ensure it’s covered to prevent it from drying out.
- Refrigeration: For longer storage, or if your frosting is more delicate (like cream cheese frosting), refrigerate the cake in an airtight container. It will remain fresh for up to 5-7 days.
- Reheating: To enjoy a slice of cake at its best, allow it to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes before serving if it has been refrigerated. For a slightly warmer treat, you can gently reheat individual slices in a microwave for 10-15 seconds on low power, though this is best done with unfrosted cake to prevent frosting from becoming oily or messy.
- Freezing: For long-term storage, Nana’s Favorite Cake Recipe freezes beautifully. Wrap the cooled, unfrosted cake tightly in plastic wrap, then in a layer of aluminum foil. You can also freeze unfrosted cake layers separately. Frozen cake will keep well for up to 2-3 months. To thaw, unwrap the cake and let it come to room temperature on a wire rack for several hours. If frosted, allow it to thaw in the refrigerator overnight.
Final Thoughts
Nana’s Favorite Cake Recipe is more than just a dessert; it’s a warm embrace from the past, a testament to simple, delightful baking. We encourage you to bake this wonderfully moist and comforting cake and share its sweetness with your loved ones.
Read more also:
- Sugar Cookie Cheesecake
- Best German Chocolate Cake
- Hot Cocoa Poke Cake
- Tasty Tiramisu Yule Log Cake
- Boozy Eggnog Bundt Cake
- Our Pinterest
Nana’s Favorite Cake Recipe
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C). Grease and flour a 9-inch round cake pan, or line it with parchment paper. This ensures your cake releases cleanly after baking.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the all-purpose flour, granulated sugar, baking soda, and salt. Ensure these ingredients are well combined to distribute the leavening and salt evenly.2 cups all-purpose flour, 1 ½ cups granulated sugar, 1 teaspoon baking soda, ½ teaspoon salt
- To the flour mixture, add the softened butter, eggs, buttermilk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract.½ cup unsalted butter, 2 large eggs, 1 cup buttermilk, ½ cup vegetable oil, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Using an electric mixer on low speed, or a whisk, begin to combine the wet and dry ingredients. Mix until just combined. Be careful not to overmix at this stage, as it can develop the gluten in the flour and result in a tougher cake. A few small lumps are perfectly fine.
- Pour the batter evenly into the prepared cake pan. The batter will be relatively thick. Smooth the top with a spatula.
- Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a wooden skewer or toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. The top should be golden brown and spring back slightly when lightly touched.
- Once baked, remove the cake from the oven and let it cool in the pan on a wire rack for about 10-15 minutes. This allows the cake to firm up slightly.
- Carefully invert the cake onto the wire rack to cool completely. Ensure the cake is entirely cool before frosting. Frosting a warm cake will result in melted frosting.
- While the cake cools, prepare the frosting. In a medium bowl, beat the softened butter until creamy. Gradually beat in the powdered sugar, alternating with the milk, until smooth and desired consistency is reached. Stir in the vanilla extract. Add more powdered sugar if you prefer a thicker frosting, or a splash more milk if it’s too stiff.1 cup unsalted butter, 3 cups powdered sugar, ¼ cup milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Once the cake is completely cool, frost the top and sides with the prepared frosting. You can keep it simple with a rustic swirl or create more intricate designs.