Dad's Birthday Cake

Here is a new cake recipe I tried out for my dad's birthday.  The cake is good.  The icing is amazing.  I'm making another cake for a friend's birthday at work this week and everyone has requested this icing.  

Yellow Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) of butter at room temperature

2 cups sugar

4 eggs at room temperature

3 cups self rising flour, sifted

1 cup whole milk

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon butter flavoring

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour (3) 8 inch cake pans (or use Cake Release by Wilton, soooo much easier).  Using a mixer, cream butter until fluffy.  Add sugar and continue beating for 7 minutes.  Add eggs one at at time.  Beat well after each egg is added.  Add flour and milk (alternating to butter mixture), beginning and ending with flour.  Add vanilla and butter flavoring to mix; until just mixed.

Divide batter equally into three cake pans.

Bake 25-30 minutes until done.  Cool in pans 5-10 minutes.  Remove and immediately wrap each layer in plastic wrap to seal in moisture.  Cool completely on wire racks.

Easy Buttercream

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 lb 10x powdered sugar

1-3 teaspoons milk, half and half, or cream

Using a mixer, cream softened butter and vanilla until smooth.  Add sugar gradually, allowing butter and sugar to cream together before adding more.  

If you want your frosting a little creamier, add a teaspoon of milk at at time and beat on high until you get the right texture.  (I used heavy cream and it turns out really smooth.)