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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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Aysha says
Hi! Trying this recipe out today! It looks super yummy. Does the topping have to be warm when pouring it over the cake? Or cooled down first?
Thank you!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Aysha, it should be warm, that's why you want tp prepare it during the last 10 minutes of the baking time. Enjoy!
Margaret says
What is 2 tbsp of half and half
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Margaret, half and half is an American convenience product that's simply half milk and half cream. Lots of people here use it in their coffee. You can either combine cream and milk or just use one or the other.
DeAnn says
I have never reviewed any recipe before...gotta do it for this one. Outstanding!! The cake is super moist and tender. The topping is fantastic. I did add a splash of vanilla to the topping. I also toasted the pecans before chopping. Thank you for a fabulous treat!!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much for letting us know, DeAnn! I'm so glad you enjoyed the cake!
Wendy Dembeck says
I made this for yesterday's holiday, and it was absolutely wonderful. I used a springform pan. It's just the two of us this year, but we cut it into twelve slices, ate two last night, will have two tonight, and probably two tomorrow night at the holiday's end. I put a dollop of whipped cream on top. Absolutely the best. Told my sister this morning, and just finished emailing her your link. Thanks for another great, keepable, and repeatable recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Thank you so much for sharing your review, Wendy!
Bev says
Thank you so much for your delicious recipes, Chris. I have this cake in the oven right now and I'm wondering how long you would bake it in a 9x13 pan? Also, it would be even more ridiculously easy for me if I used my mixer. Would that change the consistency of the cake? Thanks so much. I really enjoy your site!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Bev, if you use a 9x13 pan, I would double the recipe and bake it for 30-40 minutes, depending on your oven, until it feels firm on the top in the center.
Regarding using a mixer, that would be fine, just don't beat it too much.
Doran Richart says
I made this cake for the first time this week to serve to our 10 member evening Bible study group. It is was one of the very few times I have served a dish to someone else without using my family as the guinea pigs. But I have had great luck with your recipes so I gave it a go. Everyone LOVED it, including my picky husband, who described it as "excellent, you can make this recipe anytime". So moist, flavorful, and so easy, and not too rich!! Oh, and by the way, I love your product recommendations. Makes it so easy not to have to search Amazon reviews for a kitchen product purchase. Thank you and God bless you, Chris!!
Chris Scheuer says
I love that, Doran! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a comment!
smita ghosh says
Hi! I am getting ready to make this cake. How do you measure your flour? Dip and sweep or fluff and spoon? Flour measurements make such a difference in these kind of baked goods. I hope one day you will consider posting your recipes with weights too. I just found your blog and I am really enjoying it. Thank you for the recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Smita,
I have both dipped and swept and fluffed and spooned with this recipe and both methods gave great results. If you look above the word "Instructions" in most of our recipes you will find an option to convert from U.S. Customary to Metric with weights. Enjoy!
Martha Boyle says
Hi Chris ,
Love your recipes! Can i freeze this cake in the pan for a week? If so, any suggestions on wrapping it for freezing?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Martha, I would let it cool outside of the pan, then freeze it for about an hour, uncovered. Then wrap it securely in plastic wrap. Or, once it's frozen, you could pop it back in the pan and then wrap it tightly. If you let it get freeze partially before wrapping it, it won't get smushed.
Rose says
Thank you for sharing this wonderful recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Hope you enjoy it, Rose!
Samantha says
This was delicious! I doubled it to give to neighbors. I did have to use walnuts, though, which I toasted. My diabetic father begged for a second piece!!
Can’t wait to make again and I already shared with nearly a dozen friends 😊
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome, Samantha! Thanks for letting us know!
Gloria says
In my previous comment I forgot to say that I made my own buttermilk as in your notes. I had only mixed roasted and salted nuts, so I used them and they played the part of the Maldon flakes which I didn't have. The cake was divine.
Gloria
Chris Scheuer says
That's great, Gloria!
Marsha Day says
Thank you Chris! Your reply was very helpful.
Nanci says
My 9” cake pan is not 2” …would my 9” springform pan work or would the filling leak out?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Nanci, it depends on how good the seal is on your springform. I would wrap foil around the bottom to be safe.
Gloria says
Thank you Chris.
As you said, it is ridiculously easy and ridiculously delicious.
I'll definitely be making it again and again
Gloria from Johannesburg South Africa
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome! Thanks so much for letting us know, Gloria!
Jan Elder says
Have you tried it with gluten free flour?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Jan, I haven't tried this cake with GF flour but I would suspect it should work with an equal amount of cup for cup GF flour. I find sometimes cakes are a bit heavier but still delicious!
Marsha Day says
This sounds so yummy! Question: Do you use unsalted or salted butter?
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Marsha, I am a big fan of salted butter. I know that many chefs, particularly bakers, like to bake with unsalted butter. I'm a bit of a rebel in this aspect and tend to agree with Christopher Kimbal (who started Cook's Illustrated and Milk Street):
We are different from what you will usually hear from other cooking professionals. Here at Milk Street we experimented with using both salted and unsalted butter in both savory and baking recipes. The overall opinion was that the small amount of salt in the butter was undetectable in the recipes. Since salted butter has the advantage of extending the butter's shelf life, it also makes it a good choice for home cooks who may not use butter all that often. Even though conventional wisdom is to use unsalted we have decided it really doesn’t make a difference. If you have unsalted at home, it should work just as well in our recipes. If you are concerned, add a pinch of salt to the recipe for good luck.
Barbara says
Just wondering if I should pack the one cup of sugar called for in the cake recipe since you mentioned it in the topping I recipe. Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Barbara, great question! Yes, pack the brown sugar. Thanks for noticing this, I have added that to the recipe!
Mary says
Just reading some of your recipes and they all sound and look delicious. Just wondering, do you guys have a cookbook with them all? Can’t wait to try them
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Mary! We do not have a cookbook.
Kae says
Hi!
Can I use this recipe for cake layers? I am baking a birthday cake and will use American buttercream as the frosting. Just curious if you have ever done that. I am in search of moist layers and so far, I have had no luck!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Kae, I have not used it for a layer cake, but I think it should work fine.
Vouls says
Thank you for this great recipe. I have made it twice in the past few days and can’t stop eating it. Everyone loves this cake!
Chris Scheuer says
Awesome, I'm so glad, Vouls!
Susan says
Hi...Thank you for the recipe. I'm wondering: can I substitute butter with magerine(blue band). Thank you.
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Susan, I wouldn't recommend using margarine in this recipe.
Madeline says
Do you think I can substitute baking powder for the baking soda? It’s the only thing I’m missing!
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Madeline, baking powder and baking soda are not interchangeable and work differently so I would wait until you can get some baking soda to make this cake.
Precilla says
Made this today and it was perfect!! I used walnuts instead as that’s what i have in the kitchen.. Will definitely repeat this. Thanks for sharing this yummy & easy buttermilk cake recipe!
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much for letting us know, Precilla!
Question says
Hi, can I use kefir instead of buttermilk in this recipe? I've read they can be interchanged. This cake looks delicious!
Chris Scheuer says
I can't say for sure, because I have not tried baking with kefir. If you try it, let us know how it turns out.
Question says
I tried it with kefir and it turned out awesome! Great way to use up some kefir I don't usually have in the fridge. Now I'm wondering if I can make cupcakes with this recipe to freeze? Thanks for replying!
Chris Scheuer says
Yay! So happy that worked for you. Thanks for sharing your results - it will be helpful to other readers.
Regarding your question, I think it would work fine to make cupcakes from this recipe, just make sure to grease the pan well or use cupcake papers.
Anne Barcak says
My husband wants this cake every month, it really is that good. And thank God, it is that easy!!!
Everyone loves it. I am lactose intolerant but I will take the pill to eat it and happily. Thanks for posting.
Chris Scheuer says
Thanks so much, Anne!
Vartan says
What about adding strawberries to the batter? Would I simply just cook longer due to the water/moisture found in berries (because I love a soggy cake - said nobody ever!) or should I cutback on some of the buttermilk? I’ve got some leftover buttermilk that’s burning a hole in my ‘fridge just waiting to be used up. I’m also eyeing your brioche bun recipe because they are my absolute favorite and never tried making my own! 🙂
Chris Scheuer says
Hi Vartan, I haven't tested this recipe with any fruit so I can't say for sure. If I was going to try it, I would probably slice the strawberries and place them on some paper towels for 5-10 minutes to drain off some of the excess juices.
RA says
Can I substitute yogurt for the buttermilk?
Thanks
Chris Scheuer says
Yes! Just thin it with a little milk.