One of the biggest problems with buttercakes is creaming the butter & sugar to make a batter. So here’s a much easy way to do it without creaming (thanks American Test Kitchen). The key is using hot melted butter to emulsify the liquid ingredients quickly, all you need is a food processor.

• Serves : 8
• Oven temp: 180C (160C fan forced)
• Cooking time : 50 to 60 minutes
• Pan size : standard loaf pan (21cm x 11cm) or 20cm diameter cake pan

Ingredients (pretty standard for a buttercake)
1 ½ cups plain flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups The Sugar Breakup Dextrose
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract (or to be completely fructose free use vanilla essence)
250g unsalted butter

So how do you make it?  Here’s the bit that’s different

1. Turn the oven on to 180C (160C fan forced). Grease & line your cake pan with a double layer of baking paper
2. Whisk flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium size bowl
3. Place the eggs, dextrose and vanilla in the food processor and blitz until combined (about 10 seconds)
4. Using a small saucepan melt the butter until bubbling
5. With the processor running slowly pour the melted butter in a steady stream through the feeder tube until combined, about 30 seconds
6. Pour mixture in a large bowl and add 1/3 of flour mix whisking til just combined, repeat twice more with flour mix until combined and most lumps are gone (careful, don’t overmix!)
7. Pour batter into prepared pan and gentle tap the pan on the counter a couple of times to settle the batter
8. Bake for 50-60 minutes, testing with a skewer in the centre. If the skewer comes out with a couple of moist crumbs attached, it’s done
9. Cool in the pan for 10 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack right side up

Handy Hints

Why not melt the butter in the microwave?

You can do this but it’s easier to see when the butter is bubbling in a pot on the stove then the microwave

My cake didn’t rise!

Check the date on your baking powder. Make sure it isn’t out of date or close to the use by date.

Don’t over mix your cake, just whisk until the ingredients are combined

My cake is dry on the outside!

Dextrose can cook quicker than traditional sugar. Ensure your oven isn’t too hot. If the cake is cooking too quickly turn your oven down. Also if the cake looks cooked on the outside but not quite cooked in the middle you can turn the oven off leaving the cake inside for an extra 10 minutes until the cake is cooked in the middle. But don’t forget it!

What about gluten free?

This recipe works well with gluten free plain flour. You can also try with coconut flour but need to add an extra egg. The result will be a slightly denser cake

My eggs are in the fridge, how can I get them to room temperature quickly?

It is really important to always bake with your eggs at room temperature. The easiest way to get them to room temperature when they come out of the fridge is to place them in a bowl of warm water for about 10 minutes whilst getting your other ingredients together. Not too hot, you don’t want boiled eggs.