Basic buttercake recipe

This recipe is from the Australian Women’s Weekly Children’s Birthday Cake Book (see their Chocolate Cake recipe here).  It has always turned out really well and is what I’m referring to if I say I’ve made a buttercake.

Ingredients – for deep 15cm/6″ round,  shallow 20cm/8″ round, 18cm/7″ square (all cook 40-45 mins):

• 125g butter, softened
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 3/4 cup caster sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 & 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• 1/2 cup milk

Ingredients (doubled) – for 22-23cm/9″ round or square (cook 50-60 minutes), 20cm/8″ x 30cm/12″ lamington tin (cook 35 mins):

• 250g butter, softened
• 2 tsp vanilla essence
• 1 & 1/2 cups caster sugar
• 4 eggs
• 3 cups self-raising flour
• 1 cup milk

Ingredients (trebled) – for 30cm/8″ square (cook 1 hour, 15 mins):

• 375g butter, softened
• 3 tsp vanilla essence
• 2 & 1/4 cups caster sugar
• 6 eggs
• 4 & 1/2 cups self-raising flour
• 1 & 1/2 cups milk

Method:

• Preheat oven to 180ºC
• Grease and flour, or line, the cake tin
• Cream sugar, butter and vanilla essence until light and fluffy
• Beat in eggs, one at a time until combined
• Fold in flour and milk, in two batches
• Spread mixture in prepared tin
• Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean
• Turn onto wire rack to cool