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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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Vito B says
Can you use another kind of nut other than pecan??
Chris Scheuer says
Definitely!
Chris Scheuer says
Haha! I get it, Vito! Thanks for sharing your results!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Vito, almonds would be delicious as would walnuts@!
Vero says
BEST CAKE EVER!!!!! No other words necessary.
Damita Williams says
Hello,
Is it possible to make this cake without the 1/2 tsp of salt?
Chris Scheuer says
You definitely could make it without the salt if you are on a sodium-restricted diet, Damita.
Valerie Alberts says
Hello,
I am wondering if I could use yogurt or buttermilk for the topping instead of 1/2 &1/2 ? I don't have any and though I would save a trip to the store.
Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Valerie, I think either of those would work, in a pinch. Milk will also work.
Rachel DW says
Made the cake this morning, can’t wait to try it!!
Such an easy recipe to follow, thank you!
And thank you for having metric, made it so much easier thank having to google cup conversion!
Chris Scheuer says
You're welcome, Rachel! Enjoy!
Joana says
I made this cake yesterday and it is very good.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Joana!
Carol Manning says
My new "go-to" cake! I love how moist the cake is, the topping is awesome and it's super easy. A clear winner! Thanks!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Carol! I'm so hppy you enjoyed it!
marion says
This is the King Arthur Recipe just cut in half and using a round pan instead of the 9 x 13 pan they use. Am I missing something?
Chris Scheuer says
You're right, Marion! I'm not sure what you would be missing. Originally their recipe called to mix the dry ingredients separately but otherwise, it is the King Arthur recipe and I have credited the source to them.
Samina says
If I omit the topping, will it be on the dryer side?
Chris Scheuer says
No, it should be fine, Samina. Although the topping is amazing!
Kathy Tarazoff says
This cake was so delicious and easy to make. I made it for one of our family get togethers and there is always a "review" after tasting. It got a thumbs up from everyone! Yum!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! I'm so happy everyone enjoyed it, Kathy! Thanks for sharing your results!
Alison says
Oh my gosh, this cake is DELICIOUS. I made it once, following the recipe exactly, and it was amazing. The second time I made 2 substitutions: I reduced the brown sugar in the cake to 1/2 cup, and added 1/4 cup maple syrup. The second substitution was replacing buttermilk with whey, which I had on hand from homemade yogurt I'd made. WOW!! The cake was light, moist and so flavorful. The pecans and maple compliment one another beautifully. Thank you for posting such a delicious recipe and providing inspiration to be creative with the ingredients.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Alison! I'm so happy you enjoyed it and I love your substitutions!
Shivani Shah says
Quick question - think I can bake this as cupcakes?
Chris Scheuer says
I haven't personally tried this. It would probably work although the cupcakes would be kind of flat.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Shivani, you could although they would be fairly flat-topped.
Sherri says
Hi! I made sure my cake was done in the middle, but when i poured the topping on, it all fell in the middle. It looks like a bundt cake now. Wondering if i mis measured the butter for the topping.? I might have done 4 T instead of 3, i was weighing it bc i had a block instead of a stick. Any other ideas??
Chris Scheuer says
Hmm, not sure what to tell you Sherri, except that it might not have been done. I will often check with a thermometer as sometimes other techniques can be faulty. The internal temp should be 205-210˚F. Too much butter in the topping might make the topping runny but it shouldn't make the cake sink.
Rebekah says
This cake looks amazing! Do you think it would work in a springform pan?
Chris Scheuer says
Yes!
Chris Scheuer says
Yes, you could as long as it's not too large. A 9 or 10-inch springform would work fine.
Gee says
Do I need to use salted butter for this recipe?
Chris Scheuer says
No, unsalted is fine. Just add a pinch more salt to the recipe.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Gee, no, unsalted is fine. Just add an extra pinch of salt.
Cheryl says
Hi! I just discovered your blog! It’s so beautiful!
My 9 inch round cake pan is only 1 1/2” deep. Is that too shallow? Also if I decided to make it in a 9 x 13, how long should I bake it? And one more question… If I don’t have half-and-half, can I substitute either 2% milk or sour cream or Greek yogurt? Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Cheryl, welcome to The Café! If you make it in a 9x13, I would double the recipe. 2% milk will work fine!
Lynne says
My husband and I adored this cake. I am not much of a baker, but this was SO delicious with very little effort. The cake has a wonderful , moist crumb with the fabulous pecan topping. OH MY. I encourage everyone to give this cake a try.!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Lynne, for sharing your results! 💕
Janet says
Hi, this cake sounds amazing but I’m allergic to nuts. Any recommendations for a substitute for the topping? Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Coconut on its own would be delicious!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Janet, coconut would be nice!
Inggrid says
Hi Chris,
Silly question here - I have bakers flour, can I use this instead of all purpose flour?
Thank you.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Inggrid, I believe baker's flour (we don't have that here) is similar to bread flour. Bread flour is ideal for yeast-based recipes. You could use it here but I don't think the cake will be as tender.
Alisa says
One of the best cakes I've made. And so easy. Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Alisa! I'm so happy you enjoyed this cake as much as we have!
Veronique says
I couldn't agree more! My husband said it was the best cake he ever ate and he's not really a cake guy! Just a fun tip, if you cut little slits in the cake before you pour the caramel topping on it, it seeps inside and tastes caramely inside too! Mmm!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, Veronique! Good tip too! 💕
Carol Manning says
Sounds delicious. Wondering if you could use almond milk instead of 1/2 & 1/2 for the topping?
Carol Manning says
I did use almond milk for the topping and it turned out fabulous! A real keeper of a recipe. The cake is super moist.
Chris Scheuer says
Wonderful! Thanks for sharing your results, Carol!
susan says
Good evening,
Is there something I can use instead of eggs?
thank you
susan
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Susan, I haven't tried this recipe with anything as a substitute for the eggs so I can't say at this point.
Leigh Ann says
This cake is amazing!! It’s so fluffy, moist, and incredibly delicious, with such great flavor!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks, Leigh Ann! I'm super happy you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a review.
Wanda Phillips says
one of the best cakes I have made. I thought it would be too dry but it was prefect. I served it with sweetened whipped cream.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Wanda, for sharing your results. I'm so happy you enjoyed it!
Esther Mascarenhas says
The cake is just fab.
Made it this morning. It's delicious and the texture is soft and tender. Absolutely love the topping. I used some milk which had gotten split in the Indian heat. And I used almonds as I didn't have pecans.
Your cooking tips were indeed helpful
Thanks for sharing
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Esther, for sharing your results. Your version sounds delicious!
Claudia says
Hello Chris,
I couldnt do the topping pourable 🙁 i dont have half and half on spain so i put Milk and a little cream
It doesnt look at all like yours 🙁
Do you have a clue why?
You put the butter and the milk first over the cake and then add the nuts??
Thaaaank u
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Claudia,
I'm not sure what the problem is. The topping might be a little thinner because of the milk but it should be fine. You add the nuts to the melted butter, sugar and milk, then pour it over the cake and then bake it for another 10 minutes as directed in the recipe.
Freyan says
Hi Chris, I only have Pillsbury gluten free flour at home (all other flours were wiped clean at the stores!). Would that be fine to use or would you recommend any adjustments?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Freyan, I haven't personally tried this cake with GF flour. However, some readers have shared that they simply exchange the all-purpose flour on a 1 to 1 ration and have good results. Let us know if you try it!