Hand-Mixed Vanilla Butter Cake with Melted Butter and Cornstarch

By AislePrompt Editorial · ·

How this recipe was made — this recipe was drafted by AislePrompt's AI-assisted pipeline from technique templates and USDA-sourced nutrition data, and published by AislePrompt Editorial — see how AislePrompt recipes are developed and reviewed.

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.

Prep: 15 min Cook: 35 min Serves 8 American cuisine 310 cal/serving
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Ingredients

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Instructions

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Step 4: Pour the batter into the prepared pan and smooth the surface with a spatula.
  5. 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.
  6. Step 6: Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.