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Vanilla Butter Cake

Vanilla Butter Cake is tender, moist and buttery. Easy to make from scratch with simple ingredients. Original recipe courtesy of Land-O-Lakes. Adjusted recipe and photography by Beverly Davis for CornbreadMillionaire.com.
Prep Time30 minutes
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 15 minutes
Cuisine: American
Keyword: cake
Servings: 12 servings

Ingredients

Vanilla Butter Cake

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 3/4 cup unsalted butter (not margarine) softened
  • 1 cup sour cream
  • 3 large eggs room temperature
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract or lemon extract
  • 2 cups all-purpose flour Sifted, spooned and leveled (see info above).
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder Make sure it's active before using.
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda Make sure it's fresh before using.
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

  • 2 packages (8 ounces each) full fat cream cheese softened
  • 1/2 cup (or 1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
  • 3 cups confectioner's sugar divided
  • 1 teaspoon lemon extract
  • 4 tablespoons fresh lemon juice divided
  • 2 tablespoons fresh lemon zest use more or less as preferred

Instructions

Vanilla Butter Cake

  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Grease and flour 12-cup bundt or tube pan. Set aside. If using non-stick cooking spray, do not flour pan.
  • In medium-sized bowl, combine sugar and 3/4 cup butter. Beat at medium speed until creamy. Add sour cream, eggs, and vanilla. Beat until well combined.
  • Add remaining ingredients. Beat at low speed until well combined. Scrape bowl often.
  • Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake 45-50 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
  • Cool 5-10 minutes. Invert onto serving plate. Cool completely before spreading with Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting.

Glaze

  • In medium-sized bowl, stir together 1-1/2 cups powdered sugar and 1 tablespoon softened butter. Add enough milk for desired consistency. Whisk together. Drizzle over COOLED cake.

Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting

  • In medium sized bowl, combine softened cream cheese and softened butter with an electric mixer (or wooden spoon). Add 2 cups of confectioners sugar, lemon extract, 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice, and lemon zest.
  • Mix together with an electric mixer (or wooden spoon) until evenly combined.
  • Taste a sample. If desired, stir in remaining confectioners sugar TWO TABLESPOONS AT A TIME and remaining 1 tablespoon of fresh lemon juice. Repeat until satisfied with taste.
  • Frosting will be thick and spreadable.
  • TIP: To thin, microwave Lemon Cream Cheese Frosting on high for 5 seconds OR warm in a saucepan over low heat for 2-3 minutes. Spread "warm/thin" frosting over COOLED cake. The frosting will thicken as it cools.