Buttermilk Layer Cake

Four "simple" steps are great and allow NYT Cooking to categorize this delicious recipe as "easy" but as a dilettante baker, I can say that the nuance of dealing with how the buttermilk batter CURDLES would have been helpful to address by the recipe testers. Especially since I ended up throwing out TWO batches because I thought it was user error. So, note to all my other fellow novices out there: YES, the batter will look super weird and chunked-up buttermilk curds. And YES you can keep going!

Yes, 6 ounces equals 1 1/2 STICKS of butter, or, 12 tablespoons, or, 3/4 cup. Bravo for weighing your ingredients though. I have learned that the butter manufacturers are only obligated to have the whole weight of the package as 1 lb (that is if you're buying a 4 stick package), HOWEVER, they are Not required to ensure that each stick weighs 4 oz! Some can weigh a little more, some can weigh a little less! I'm only providing this level of detail to someone who weighs ingredients like me :

We loved this moist flavorful cake. Served it with apricot jam between layers and put raspberry jam infused whipped cream on the top with fresh strawberries. Perfect.

Made this last night for my son's bday. We are eating it today. I did take a tiny taste when I was taking it out of the pan and so far so good! It was really easy and fast to make. I love using buttermilk in baking, so that ingredient made me pick this recipe.

This is a great recipe, it is easy to make and tastes wonderful. Yet, I have made it twice and both times it came out very dry. Any comments as to why it would be dry? Thanks.

Made cupcakes using this recipe, and they turned out well! Baked for something like 20 to 22 mins.

I always use White Lily flour, which does not need to be sifted as it is superfine.

I've made the cake itself a few times now-- just delicious! The buttermilk imparts a lovely flavor that sets it apart from other yellow/vanilla cakes. It's my go-to birthday cake now and we never have leftovers. I haven't used the frosting recipe linked here, but I have done it with homemade whipped cream and strawberries, Swiss buttercream, and chocolate whipped cream in the center topped with chocolate ganache for the "dripping" look. Pairs well with them all.

Wow, this is a really good recipe. I got a little bit of tunneling but I think I added the flour too fast and there was a couple lumps of leavener in there so it's my bad.

Otherwise: very tender, fine crumb and very moist. I'm going to convert all the volume measurements to weight and I'll use it as one of my standards!

I haven't even gotten this cake out of the oven so I can't say anything to the quality of this cake but felt like I should say something about the measurements in this recipe. Why is everything EXCEPT the butter measured by volume? Would anyone really measure only butter by weight? I thought that it was correct to write measurements in a recipe either all by volume or all by weight, not to mix the two, as that can be confusing. I think this is definitely something that should be fixed.

Just made the cake. Plan to use fresh whipped cream and strawberries to fill, with powdered sugar on top for 6 year olds birthday cake tomorrow. He asked for strawberry shortcake but this cake looked like it would fit the bill. yum

Great recipe. Worked perfectly. For the frosting I melted granulated sugar in with the cream, (instead of using powdered sugar) and it worked just fine.

So, an update. The first time I made this cake, I used 6 tablespoons butter. (Totally my fault). Light, fluffy, glorious. Today I made it using the correct 6 ounces. More buttery flavor, yes, but it didn't rise as high and wasn't as light and fluffy. Think I'll stick with 6 tablespoons from now on.

This is a super soft and light cake. Delicious.

Make this cake if you must, but I suggest you have a Plan B when it disappoints. Dense & dull. I was lured in to making it by the photo.