Ridiculously Easy French Butter Cake

5 from 11 votes

Although this French Butter Cake may have a fancy name, it's simply a delicious amalgamation of a super beloved cake made by French grandmothers and a popular American dessert called Kentucky Butter Cake. It's ridiculously easy to make as well as being moist, tender and ridiculously delicious!

Prep Time20

Cook Time40

Total Time1

Course: Cake, Dessert

Cuisine: American, French

Keyword: Butter Cake, French Butter Cake

Servings:

Calories: 237kcal

Author: Chris Scheuer

Ingredients

For the cake:

½ cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ teaspoon almond extract
1½ cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup neutral flavored oil ie canola, vegetable, sunflower, safflower, avocado or grapeseed

For the glaze:

⅓ cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons butter (I use salted)
1½ tablespoons water
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
⅛ teaspoon almond extract

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

For the cake:

Preheat the oven to 350˚F (175˚C). Spray a 8-inch round cake pan with baking spray, rub inside surface of pan with a paper towel to cover evenly with the spray. Line bottom of pan with parchment paper and spray parchment paper lightly. Set aside
In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, sugar, eggs and the vanilla and almond extracts. Whisk until well blended.
Add the baking powder and salt. Whisk to combine then add the flour and whisk again just until all of the flour is blended in.
Add the oil and stir well. Don't worry, at first it will seem to separate but keep stirring till smooth.
Pour the batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 30-40 minutes, until the cake feels springy to the touch and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Be careful not to overbake.
While the cake cools a bit, prepare the glaze.

For the glaze:

Combine the sugar, butter, water and extracts in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat stirring frequently until the butter is melted and the sugar has dissolved. Do not bring to a boil.
Using a pastry brush, slowly brush the glaze all over the top of the cake, using about a quarter of the mixture.
Flip the cake out onto a cooling rack that has been set on top of a sheet of parchment paper or foil. The bottom of the cake will now be the top.
Brush the remaining glaze over the top and sides of the cake. Just keep going over the cake till the glaze is gone. Some of it will drip off but most of it will soak in. Allow cake to cool for at least 30 minutes before serving. Sprinkle with powdered sugar if desired before serving.

Notes

See Café Tips above in the post for more detailed instructions and tips to ensure success.

If you prefer to use Metric measurements there is a button in each of our recipes, right above the word “Instructions”. Just click that button to toggle to grams, milliliters, etc. If you ever come across one of our recipes that doesn’t have the Metric conversion (some of the older recipes may not), feel free to leave a comment and I will add it.

Nutrition