The Best Classic French Butter Cake Recipe
You are going to love this French Butter Cake recipe! It is easy to make, and it is so buttery and delicious. The inside stays moist, while the edges of the cake develop a perfect, crumbly crust.
Even if you have no baking experience, you can make this authentic French cake, and wow your friends and family. This recipe takes minimal effort, and uses simple ingredients, most of which you probably already have at home. It beats boxed cake mix any day.
This is my great grandmother’s recipe, and would ordinarily be used to make individual french madeleine cakes. My family has always made this cake using two 9.5 x 5.5 loaf pans, instead of individual madeleines. But, if tiny little cakes are you your preference, it is easy to make the switch. I will tell you how here.
Ingredients
A few notes about the ingredients.
As with any recipe, the better the ingredients, the better the end product. I do find that using a high quality unsalted butter makes a difference in the flavor. I like using Kerrygold or Président butter. You can use any brand that you like, as long as it is of good quality.
Butter
Remember to take your butter out of the refrigerator about 30 minutes prior to baking and allow it to come to room temperature. Softened butter mixes easily with the sugar, and creates a fluffy texture, that cold butter won’t.
If you forget to take your butter out before starting, you can speed it along by placing the butter in microwave and placing the microwave on 50% power. Heat in the microwave for increments of 15 seconds, rotating the butter, every 15 seconds, until it is soft. Just be careful not to overdo it. Melted butter won’t create the fluffy texture that we want.
What if I can’t find Crème fraîche?
The original recipe calls for crème fraîche, which is an ingredient that is readily available in France. I can typically find a California or Vermont crème fraîche at my local grocery store. But, if yours doesn’t carry it, sour cream is a perfect substitute. Just be sure to use the full fat kind!
Eggs
Eggs should also be at room temperature before mixing. They incorporate into the the butter and sugar mixture more readily. Adding cold eggs to the butter and sugar mixture causes clumping, and it is more difficult to get everything incorporated evenly.
Take your eggs out of the refrigerator and leave them on the countertop to come to room temperature for about 30 minutes prior to using. If you forget, or you are pressed for time, you can use this trick: Fill a large bowl with enough warm water to submerge the eggs. Place the cold eggs into the the bowl of warm water, and allow them to sit for 5 minutes. This should warm them up to a suitable temperature for mixing.
Vanilla
My preference is to use vanilla bean seeds over vanilla extract. The flavor is rich and pure, and definitely indulgent. But vanilla beans can be pricey, and they are not something that everyone has in their pantry. In this case, substituting vanilla extract works just fine, and still gives the cake a nice flavor. If you would prefer to use vanilla bean seeds, you can substitute the seeds from one whole vanilla bean in the place of the vanilla extract.
Baking the French Butter Cake
This recipe makes about 8 cups of batter. It is a bit much to bake it all in one pan. So, I like to divide it into two loaf pans. These are the exact loaf pans I used. This creates a nice crust to middle ratio, and you get two cakes out of the deal! You can always freeze one and save it for later. I will tell you how in just a bit.
Be sure to use a prepared cake pan for this recipe. Preparing a pan for baking is easy. Scoop some softened butter into your cake pan, and using a paper towel, smear the butter around the inside of the pan until it is completely coated. Then scoop 1-2 tablespoons of all purpose flour into the pan, angling in all different directions until the butter is completely coated with flour. Dump out the excess flour, and your pans are ready to receive the batter.
Baking the cake at a lower temperature for a longer period of time creates a buttery cake with a golden brown crust. If the heat is too high, the outside would burn before the inside is finished baking. So, the medium-low heat is important. Be sure to pay attention to the baking temperature (315 F).
Once the cake is baked, turn it out onto a wire rack and allow it to cool. Leaving in the pan to cool will create a soggy crust.
The Best French Butter Cake (Madeleine Cake)
Equipment
- Stand Mixer
- Bowl
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- 2 9 x 5 Loaf pans
Ingredients
- 3 sticks unsalted butter 1 1/2 cups at room temperature
- 3 cups granulated sugar
- 2 tsp vanilla extract Seeds from one vanilla bean can be used as a substitute
- 6 eggs at room temperature
- 3 cups all purpose flour scooped and leveled
- 1/4 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 cup crème fraîche full fat sour cream can be used as a substitute
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 315 degrees Fahrenheit.
- Lightly butter and flour 2 bread loaf pans. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, mix together flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
- In a stand mixer, cream together butter and sugar, until light and fluffy.
- Add vanilla extract, and mix until combined.
- Add eggs, one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Slowly add in flour mixture, in 1/2 cup increments, mixing well after each addition. Mix until combined.
- Mix in crème fraîche (or sour cream) until fully incorporated.
- Pour half of the batter into each of the prepared pans.
- Bake the cakes in the oven for one hour. Check the cake for doneness. Cake is ready when a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
- Turn cakes out onto a wire rack for cooling. Avoid allowing them to cool in the pan, as this will soften the outer crust.
Variations:
1. One cake instead of two: If you only want one cake, this recipe is easy to divide in half. Divide all of the ingredients by two, and then use only one 9.5 x 5.5 inch bread loaf pan or one 9-inch cake pan to make one cake. Reduce the baking time to 30-35 minutes.
2. Traditional madeleine cakes: If these are your preference, this recipe will make a whopping 10 1/2 dozen of them! Using a madeleine pan, place about 1 tablespoon of batter in each mold, and reduce the baking time to 12 minutes.
3. You can add a tablespoon lemon zests to the batter to make lemon madeleines.
4. Replace 1/3 cup of the all purpose flour with 6 tablespoons of unsweetened cocoa for a chocolate variation.
Garnishing the French Butter Cake
My mom makes this delicious cake often. It is just so versatile, and fitting for any special occasion.
It is delicious enough to eat it as is. But, it also pairs well with a cup of coffee, for breakfast, or for afternoon goûter.
You can even dress it up a bit by adding a dusting of confectioner sugar, fresh flowers, whipped cream, fresh fruit, fresh berries, or a scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side.
Freezing Extra French Butter Cake
As I said before, this recipe makes 2 cakes. So, if you would like, you can freeze one to save for later.
Here’s how you do it:
- Let the cake cool completely.
- Wrap in aluminum foil, and place it in a large ziploc bag.
- Place it in the freezer for up to 3 months.
- When you are ready to eat it, take it out of the freezer about an hour before you are ready to eat it, leave it in the foil and bag, and let it come to room temperature before unwrapping and serving.
Enjoy!
I really hope that you enjoy this traditional recipe as much as my family does. The basic ingredients make it really simple to make, and it really go to recipe for celebrating any special event.
Please let me know in the comments below if you have made it, and what you think of it. I would love to know!
Bon Appétit!
This post contains affiliate links. As an amazon affiliate, I make a small commission on any purchase you make through this post, at no additional cost to you. Thank you so much for your support!
