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Everyone flips over this moist, delicious buttermilk cake with a fabulous pecan topping and crisp, candy-glazed edges. After the first bite, they beg for the recipe. They never believe how EASY it is!
If your friends and family are anything like mine, the first bite of this Easy Farmhouse Buttermilk Cake will have them swooning, moaning, sighing and/or saying "Oh, my gosh!".
I saw a picture of this buttermilk cake in an email from King Arthur Flour. The cake looked fabulous and I loved the rustic, charming name. I tried the recipe a while back when some friends were coming for lunch. Being a bit lazy (and always in a hurry), I simplified it to involve just one bowl and no mixer. I've been making it ever since, always to rave reviews.
It's such a winner! When a recipe is REALLY good my husband calls it "candy", (even if it's meat or veggies!). This cake can definitely be labeled as "candy" both literally and figuratively! The cake is super moist with lots of flavor, and the topping reminds us of a delicious combination of sticky buns and pecan pie. And then there's that thin candy-like glaze that forms on the edges as the cake bakes, you can see what I mean in the picture below.
How quick and easy is this buttermilk cake?
It's actually ridiculously easy! That's how we label recipes here at The Café that take minimal effort on your part while making you look like a kitchen rock star. You can read more about our collection of Ridiculously Easy recipes (yes, we have a whole series of these super easy recipes) in this post but below is an example of just how easy this recipe is:
A while back, our granddaughter, Elle, was in a play. Her older sister, Annie (12 at the time) stayed at home while we attended the 40-minute performance since she had already seen it. Annie started this buttermilk cake recipe as we were leaving for the play and, by the time we returned, it was done! It was gorgeous and later, when we indulged in Annie's cake, everyone agreed that this dessert was definitely "blog-worthy" (the highest accolade in our family!).
We've also made a video demonstrating that this Farmhouse Buttermilk Cake truly does earn that Ridiculously Easy moniker. Check it out:
What is buttermilk and what kind should I buy?
Originally, buttermilk was the liquid left behind after churning butter out of cultured cream. This type of buttermilk is now specifically referred to as traditional buttermilk. The fermented dairy product that is widely available these days at most groceries and markets is cultured buttermilk.
Cultured buttermilk is regular dairy milk that has been inoculated with an acidic culture. The acidic culture simulates the naturally occurring bacteria in the traditional product. The result is the characteristic sour taste of buttermilk as well as a thicker product. Sometimes you'll notice flecks of butter in purchased buttermilk. This is actually butter which has been added by the dairy to simulate the residual flecks of butter that are often leftover when churning traditional buttermilk.
If you check out the dairy shelves of your local grocery, you'll notice that buttermilk comes in two varieties, whole milk, and low fat. The difference is just as the names imply: whole milk buttermilk is made from whole milk and the low fat from skim or 1% milk.
So which should you buy? That's really just a matter of personal preference. I prefer the whole milk variety when baking, but either one will result in a delicious buttermilk cake with this recipe.
And if you're in a pinch, you can even make your own buttermilk. Check out the Café Tips below for simple instructions.
How do I love thee, oh Easy Farmhouse Buttermilk Cake? Let me count the ways...
- Your recipe is so simple: combine butter and sugar in a bowl, add buttermilk and egg. Stir. Sprinkle dry ingredients over the top, mix, then transfer batter to a pan. Bake. While the cake finishes up in the oven, make the easy topping in the same bowl. Pour topping over the cake and bake a little longer. Cool and ENJOY!
- Your tender, moist crumb is amazing!
- There's your pecan-praline-like topping, perfectly complementing the light, delicate texture of the cake.
- Oh my! I love the way the topping seeps down the sides of the cake in the oven, caramelizing and becoming candylike in texture.
- You freeze beautifully so you're a great recipe to make ahead for guests.
- I love that you're crazy delicious whether served warm or at room temperature.
- You can be dressed up or down (with ice cream, whipped cream, powdered sugar, etc.) making you perfect for breakfast, lunch and/or dinner!
Café Tips for making this Easy Farmhouse Buttermilk Cake
- Be sure to use a 9-inch cake pan for this buttermilk cake. Round cake pans also come in 8-inch which would be too small and could cause a mess in the oven. For good results, use a straight-sided, fairly heavyweight cake pan. I really like these pans from OXO.
- If your 9-inch pan is shorter than this, you could use a springform pan.
- I love to add a sprinkle of flaky sea salt after this cake is baked and has cooled for 15-20 minutes. This is totally optional, but if you like salty-sweet, be sure to try this. I use Maldon Sea Salt. It's the sea salt preferred by many chefs. Maldon is a flaky sea salt meaning that it's flat and flaky rather than crystalline in structure, like other sea salts. It's a finishing salt; in other words, it's used as the finishing step rather than as a seasoning when cooking. It's more expensive than other salt, but a box will last a long time. To use Maldon, just take a pinch in your fingers and rub them together over the food. This will cause the large flakes to break apart into smaller pieces.
- Because this recipe doesn't use an electric mixer, the butter should be VERY soft. Leave it sit at room temperature for several hours or use a microwave at 10% power (for 30 to 90 seconds, depending on the power of your microwave) to soften your butter.
- No buttermilk? No problem! Just add one tablespoon of white vinegar or lemon juice to a measuring cup. Fill with milk to measure one cup. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes, then proceed with recipe.
- This buttermilk cake can be made 8-10 hours in advance and stored at room temperature.
- Have extra buttermilk after making this cake? Try out our Ridiculously Easy Buttermilk Biscuits or these Easy Buttermilk Brioche Buns. You'll find yourself buying buttermilk on a regular basis!
- If you're feeding a crowd, double the recipe and bake the cake in a 9x13-inch pan.
- Don't skip lining the pan with parchment if you want to be able to easily remove the cake from the pan. If you want to serve the cake right from the pan, you can just grease the pan and skip the parchment paper. I love these pre-cut parchment paper circles but you can also cut your own (see image below).
Everyone flips over this moist, delicious buttermilk cake and, after the first bite, they beg for the recipe. No one believes how EASY it is!
- ¼ cup butter very soft
- 1 cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 1 large egg
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon baking soda
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tablespoons melted butter
- ½ cup light brown sugar firmly packed
- 2 tablespoons half and half
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
- ¾ cup diced pecans
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Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spray a 9" round cake pan (with at least 2-inch tall sides) with baking spray and line with parchment paper. Set aside.
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Combine the butter and brown sugar and stir until well combined (the mixture will not be fluffy at this point).
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Add the egg, stirring until nice and smooth.
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Stir in the buttermilk and vanilla extract until well combined.
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Sprinkle the flour, baking soda and salt evenly over the top and stir until well combined.
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Pour the batter into the prepared pan.
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Bake the cake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and/or the cake springs back when lightly touched in the center.
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During the last 10 minutes of baking time, prepare the topping. Stir the butter and the sugar together. Add the milk, pecans, and salt. The glaze will be thick, but pourable.
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After the cake has baked for 30 minutes, pour the topping over the cake and return it to the oven for another 10 minutes (for a total baking time of 40 minutes). Remove cake from the oven and allow to cool for 20 minutes in the pan. Sprinkle lightly with flaky sea salt, if desired and serve warm or at room temperature. Topping will firm up as the cake cools.
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Cake can be served in the pan or on a serving platter or cake stand. To serve on a platter, invert cake onto a dinner-size plate then invert again so that topping is up.
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Home Baker says
This is the second time I am making this cake. It is very delicious and moist! I doubled the recipe and substituted 1/2 of the flour for whole wheat pastry flour and the cakes turned out beautifully. One I did with the topping as indicated in the recipe. The other I added dark chocolate chips for those with nut allergies. My family couldn't stop raving about this cake. Thank you so much for the recipie!
Chris Scheuer says
I love your adaptations! So good to know you can use half WW pastry flour too!
Medina says
That taste every bit as good if not better as the more difficult Buttermilk Cream Cake that uses 5 eggs that you have to separate and then whip the whites stiff and a whole bunch of other pain the a...s steps you've got to go through! Thank you for sharing a wonderfully simple yet elegant cake recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
I love easy recipes that have wonderful results! Thanks so much, Medina, happy you enjoyed it!
Amy says
When I baked the cake the center did not set. Any suggestions?
Chris Scheuer says
Next time bake it a little longer. Every oven is different. If it seems to be getting too brown on the top, just cover it will foil.
Jennifer says
What would the baking time be for a 9 by 13 pan?
Chris Scheuer says
35 minutes. Then add the topping and return to the oven for 10 more minutes. Enjoy!
Susan Roberts says
This cake is easy and best of all DELICIOUS!!! I made yesterday and it's just about gone. Will make again soon.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Susan. I understand about it disappearing quickly! 🙂
Elyse says
This looks like a cake I used to have as a child from a bakery that no longer exists. The only difference was it was almond flavored, and had sliced almonds on top. Been trying to recreate for years. How would you suggest adapting? My mother's entire extended family would be so thrilled.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Elyse, you could add 1/2 teaspoon almond extract to the batter and then sub sliced almonds for the pecans in the topping. But also stay tuned! I have a fabulous cake coming up that sounds similar to the one you are describing!
Mrs Peterson says
Hello. Have you posted this recipe yet? If so, what is it? Thank you! LOVE your blog!
Chris Scheuer says
Hello Mrs. Peterson, if you scroll to the bottom of the post, you'll find the recipe! Is that what you're asking?
Carla Hawks says
Not enough topping to cover the cake. King Arthur recipe better.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Carla for sharing your opinion. The King Arthur recipe does have more topping but sadly a lot more sugar, fat and calories. For us, this version is quite decadent without going over the top.
Sandy says
For baking recipes that require buttermilk, I keep powdered buttermilk in my fridge ( a requirement of the product). It is added to the dry ingredients and the required amount of liquid can be your choice, water, milk, etc. It is so convenient and I cannot tell a difference in the final product. It is sold in most grocery stores, I know WalMart carries it.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Sandy, great tip!
Hattie Rössger says
Hallo Scott and Chris,
Your recipe looks delicious and I will definitely be trying it out on my toddler and husband this weekend. However, do you have any suggestions for a substitute for the pecans - my hubbie is unfortunately not too keen on nuts, but I think it definitely needs a topping!
Thanks for any thoughts and chilly greetings from Berlin, Germany,
Hattie
Chris Scheuer says
Guten tag, Hattie! Don't feel bad, it's quite chilly here in North Carolina too! A perfect day to bake cake 🙂
Regarding your question, I think coconut would be wonderful in lieu of nuts. But even if you just omit the nuts and make the cake as written, it will be wonderful with a crunchy brown sugar topping. Or you could mix a little oatmeal in the topping. Enjoy!!
Debbie Short says
I don't want to buy a container of half n half for2 tablespoons... Is there something else I can use
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Debbie, if you have whole milk, just use that.
Ryan says
This recipe is good but the amount of advertisements that your site has makes the user experience terrible. I will avoid this site going forward as it bogs down my RAM heavily and the advertisements overwhelm the screen.
Chris Scheuer says
So sorry Ryan you have had difficulty with this. It's expensive to run a website and, just like television and magazines, ads are the way we pay for the expenses and earn a living. There should not be pop-up ads that cover the screen, however. If you see one, please take a screenshot and send it to me so we can eliminate that problem.
Miriam says
This looks positively scrumptious!
Im going to bake for a get together next Sat and make boiled cider and salted bourbon butterscotch sauce as additional sinful options for my guests...although a “”test” cake may be in order 😉
Nancy Kirsch says
Would homemade hot fudge sauce work as an accompaniment to this buttermilk cake?
Chris Scheuer says
That would be delicious!
Daphne C van den Berg says
Hi Chris
So enjoyed the Farmhouse Buttermilk Cake. As I bake to sell at work, I decided to try it as muffins (could have easily gotten about 14 or 16 out of the quantity of batter), WOW it really turned out great. Cannot wait to try it out on my colleagues as it certainly did not last very well at home.
Kind regards (and happy baking)
Daphne
Patti says
How long did you bake the cupcakes and at what time did you add the topping?
Daphne C van den Berg says
Hi
I baked them for approximately 20 to 25 minutes, then added the topping (with a teaspoon) and continued to bake for a further 10 minutes.
Just as a follow up, they really went down very well with my colleagues.
Kind regards
Daphne
Chris Scheuer says
thanks so much for sharing your results Daphne, so happy you and your colleagues enjoyed them!
Lizzie says
Made this today to take for a pot luck later this evening. It turned out really delicious and now I don't know if I can wait for the evening to arrive. Trying to keep it out of sight ☺
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! I love it and know exactly what you mean! Thanks for leaving a comment!
Miriam says
Can I bake this in a bundt pan? If yes do I need to double the recipe?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Miriam, I haven't tried a bundt pan with this recipe so I can't say for sure. Let us know if you try it!
Soo says
Hi! Recipe looks great, can't wait to try it. I only have walnuts though, can I use them in place of the pecans?
Thanks so much!
Chris Scheuer says
Walnuts would be wonderful!
Ron says
I tried the recipe. Followed all instructions and measurements however, my cake domed and took extra 10mins to cook. So total of 50mins. The taste was amazing however
Gina says
Can I bake this recipe in a 9 x 9 square?
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, it can. It won't be quite as high but still delicious!
Gina Palladino says
This has become our go-to cake. Yesterday, we made a chocolate version, which turned out well. Within the coming weeks, we're planning to make a version with caraway seeds. We love this recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Yum! Love your adaptations, Gina! Did you add cocoa for the chocolate version?
Thanks for sharing your results!
Gail Sawrie says
This looks amazing! Thinking of making it for a luncheon tomorrow
Quick question: Do you add the salt in the cake recipe with the other dry ingredients? I didn't see where it was added.
Thanks for your wonderful, and easy, recipes.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Gail! Yes, that's exactly when you add the salt. Thanks for pointing that out. I will amend the recipe.
Selina says
This is really interesting! Love the story behind the recipe! This is one of my favorite things to order when we go out for Chinese food! Can’t wait to give it a try!
Chris Scheuer says
Enjoy Selina!
Linda Auble says
We enjoyed this lovely cake with our morning coffee. My 4 year old grandson enjoyed it too, he made little Mmmm noises as he chewed!
Chris Scheuer says
That's so sweet! Thanks for sharing your results, Linda!
Gloria says
Hi Chris,
I just discovered your web site this morning and I have been binge reading your recipes section!
For the baking time, can you please clarify: for the Farmhouse Buttermilk Cake, should I bake the cake for 20 minutes, add the topping, then bake for another 10 minutes? Or bake for 30 minutes, add topping, then bake for 10 minutes more? Sorry, I may be over thinking it!
Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Gloria!
Sorry if that was confusing. I edited the recipe to make it more clear. You do bake the cake for 30 minutes, then add the topping and bake for another 10. Hope you enjoy it!
Sara Goverman says
I love the lemon coconut cookies but mine did not “ crackle” as nicely as yours. What’s the secret?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Sara, I'm not really sure why your cookies didn't crackle. Sometimes the brand of butter can make a difference but it's hard to say without being right in your kitchen with you.
Elssy Lawrence says
Can you freeze the apple danish
Chris Scheuer says
yes!
Donna says
Delicious! I had to make this ahead of time for a family dinner due to time constraints. I baked it, froze it, then defrosted it the night before our dinner. The next morning I put the topping on it and baked it for 10 min. more. It came out perfect and excellent. Everyone loved it.
I was a little concerned about freezing it then baking it with the topping. Nothing to worry about. It’s a real champ!
Thanks for the recipe!
Donna says
If I bake this cake ahead of time and freeze it, would I defrost it, add the topping and bake for another 10 minutes, or freeze it with the topping? I made it a couple of weeks ago, and it lasted one day.
Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Honestly, Becky, I think you could do it either way. Probably freezing it, thawing and baking the topping would make it taste and look a little fresher but either will be delicious.