Hand-Mixed Vanilla Butter Cake with Melted Butter and Cornstarch
A moist, fluffy vanilla butter cake made with hand-mixed batter incorporating melted butter and cornstarch for tender crumb. This American-inspired recipe, ready in about 50 minutes, layers all-purpose flour, cornstarch, baking powder into a dessert worth slowing down for — great for weekend baking, holiday tables, or any time you want a sweet payoff at the end of a meal. Each serving lands at about 310 calories and feeds 8, so it slots into a weekend bake or a special-occasion dessert tray. Tap "Plan a meal with the AI" below to drop this recipe into your week and send the ingredients straight to Instacart. Nutrition values are approximate, calculated from USDA FoodData Central (fdc.nal.usda.gov) — verify against ingredient labels for any health-driven dietary plan.
Ingredients
- 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
- 3 tbsp cornstarch
- 2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup, melted and cooled unsalted butter
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup whole milk
The bakeware we’d bake this in → Best Bakeware Sets in 2026: Top Picks + Buying Guide
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Equipment for this recipe
Tools this recipe's steps call for, with a link to each on Amazon.
Instructions
- Step 1: Preheat the oven to 350°F and grease an 8-inch round or square cake pan. In a bowl, sift together 1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour, 3 tbsp cornstarch, 2 tsp baking powder, and 1/2 tsp salt.
- Step 2: In a large mixing bowl, whisk 1/2 cup melted and cooled unsalted butter with 1 cup granulated sugar until combined. Add 3 large eggs one at a time, whisking well after each addition, then stir in 2 tsp vanilla extract.
- Step 3: Alternately add the flour mixture and 3/4 cup whole milk to the wet ingredients, beginning and ending with the flour, mixing gently after each addition until just combined. Avoid overmixing to keep the cake tender.
- Step 4: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula.
- Step 5: Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean and the cake springs back when lightly pressed.
- Step 6: Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.








