Baking is not my strongest suit, but I have learned that if I focus on what I love and perfect it, I am truly content. This French Butter Cake is one of those recipes.
Let me clarify — this is not a cake made using French baking techniques. It is a cake made with French butter, and that one ingredient elevates the flavour beautifully. That said, regular butter works perfectly fine too. I personally prefer salted butter, though unsalted butter works just as well. It is purely a personal preference.
I did not create this recipe from scratch. It is an improvised version, adjusted to suit my own taste over many years of baking. I used to love Sarah Lee pound cake growing up, but as my palate developed, I became determined to find a recipe that was buttery, rich, dense, and moist. The traditional pound cake ratio of 1:1:1:1 — equal parts butter, sugar, flour, and eggs — never quite hit the mark for me.
Then one day, while baking butter cookies from a recipe that called for almond flour, I discovered that almond flour creates a naturally rich and buttery taste. That discovery started a long journey of adjusting the ratio between regular flour and almond flour with every bake. After many years of experimenting, I finally landed on a cake that is dense, rich, and deeply buttery in both taste and texture. Do note that because of the higher proportion of almond flour, this cake does not rise as much as a traditional butter cake — and that is perfectly fine.
I also reduced the sugar. Most recipes use sugar and flour in a 1:1 ratio by weight, or at least 80 to 90 percent sugar for every 100g of flour. Cutting it too drastically can make the cake dry. After many rounds of testing, I managed to reduce it to 73 percent without affecting the texture or taste. I am not trained in food science — all I can tell you is that this ratio gives the right texture and flavour without compromising what a good butter cake should taste like.
Give this recipe a go and let me know how it turns out — drop me an email or reach me via my social media handles. I would love to hear from you.
French Butter Cake
Equipment
- Hand mixer or Stand mixer
Ingredients
- 220 g French butter salted or unsalted, your preference
- 190 g caster sugar
- 180 g blanched almond flour
- 80 g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 6 eggs approximately 63g each, room temperature
- 2 tbsp milk optional
- 2 tsp vanilla extract or vanilla essence optional
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 170°C.
- Prepare and measure all ingredients before starting.
- Combine the plain flour and baking powder and sift together. Almond flour does not need to be sifted.
- Cut the butter into large cubes.
- Grease the cake pan with the remaining butter and set aside.
- Place the butter and sugar into a mixing bowl.
- Beat on low speed until the butter and sugar begin to come together, then increase to medium speed. Beat until the mixture is pale yellow. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed to ensure everything is evenly mixed.
- Add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each addition.
- Add the milk and vanilla extract. Mix well.
- Add the plain flour and almond flour. Beat on low speed until just incorporated.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Run a skewer through the batter and tap the pan firmly on the counter to remove air pockets.
- Bake between 30 - 40 minutes, adjusting the timing according to your oven.
- Test for doneness by inserting a skewer into the centre of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
- Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack before serving.
Notes
- This recipe yields approximately 5.5 cups of batter and makes a cake of about 1kg. It fits perfectly in a 6-cup capacity bundt pan (30.8cm W x 7.3cm H x 14cm D) or a standard square baking tray (20cm x 20cm x 5cm).
- Oven temperature - Every oven is different — you know yours best. If you are using a Nordic Ware bundt pan, reduce the temperature by about 10°C to prevent the cake from over-browning.
- Butter - The butter should be at room temperature — soft enough to indent with a finger, but not so soft that it spreads on its own.
- Eggs - I keep my eggs refrigerated to maintain freshness. Take them out at least one hour before baking, as this recipe requires room temperature eggs. Adding them one at a time helps the eggs incorporate evenly into the batter, and gives you a chance to spot any bad eggs along the way — just in case.
- Bundt pan vs standard baking tray - For me, it is all about presentation. The bundt pan does all the work aesthetically. If you are using a traditional bundt pan, grease it well and dust with a thin layer of flour to help with unmolding. You can skip the flour if you are using a non-stick pan. I personally swear by Nordic Ware! For a standard baking tray, simply grease it or line with parchment paper.
- Storage - This is a rich cake that keeps well at room temperature for one day. Store any leftovers in the refrigerator from the second day onwards.
- Serving - If you prefer your cake warm, heat it briefly in a toaster oven or microwave before serving — especially if it has been stored in the refrigerator.
