Easter Buttermilk Cake

If it’s a super moist and fluffy cake recipe you’re looking for, look no further! This Easter Buttermilk Cake is absolutely delicious just as it is, but the cream cheese frosting, which is prepared with buttermilk as well, makes this cake taste extraordinary! Loaded up with chocolate eggs, this cake is sure to delight and impress!

Easter Buttermilk Cake reminds me of the boxed cake mixes you buy at the store. Even though this cake is made using real ingredients, the texture reminds me of a baked Duncan Hines boxed cake. It’s super light and fluffy despite the addition of the buttermilk. This cake is sure to impress everyone who is lucky enough to get a slice. The cream cheese frosting with the buttermilk mixed right into it easily puts this cake on my top 10 list.

You know I love to bake and cook, Dear Reader. This is why, unlike most homes, we always have buttermilk in our fridge. It’s a great ingredient for my Buttermilk Dill Ranch Pasta Salad, and my Jalapeno Buttermilk Ranch Coleslaw. If you’re more in the mood for something sweet instead of savoury, buttermilk is there for you. In addition to this Easter Buttermilk Cake, take a look at my Buttermilk Pound Cake and tell me if you disagree!

I mentioned that our fridge always has buttermilk. But, it’s not my fault! The reason is that I always have lots of leftover buttermilk. Memory tells me that I might have mentioned before that buttermilk comes in one size only here in Canada. It’s a one-litre carton, which is way more than most recipes need.

We do shop in the United States often enough to know that on that side of the border, buttermilk can be purchased in smaller portions. There’s really no rhyme or reason why the same logic shouldn’t be applied here as well! I guess it’s not so bad. All of that leftover buttermilk is the perfect reason to make a buttermilk cake!

WHAT IS BUTTERMILK?

Buttermilk is the liquid that is left behind after churning butter made from cream. The stuff we buy in the store is not pure buttermilk though. What we buy is cultured buttermilk which has had bacteria added to it and allowed to ferment.

You’ll note that buttermilk has a slightly sour taste and smell – much like sour cream! But, don’t worry; it’s not spoiled and you can consume it safely without getting sick.

Did you know that you can make your own buttermilk at home? Yes! If you don’t have any on hand, you can make your own. Just stir one tablespoon of fresh lemon juice or white vinegar into a cup of whole milk. It will not be as thick as store-bought, cultured buttermilk, but it will do the trick!

INGREDIENTS NEEDED TO PREPARE THIS RECIPE

The following is a list of the ingredients needed to prepare this recipe. For exact amounts and measurements, refer to the printable recipe card located near the bottom of this post.

To Make the Cake:

• Butter – Make sure your butter is at room temperature!
• Brown Sugar – First of all, it has way more flavour than regular white sugar! And, in this recipe, brown sugar helps to keep the cake moist and soft.
• Sugar – Sugar will caramelize when baked, which will help to brown cookies and cakes. 
• Eggs – Whenever you set out to bake, make sure your eggs are at room temperature too – just like your butter!
• Vanilla Extract – Probably the most common extract and the most common flavouring used in cakes and cookies. 
• Buttermilk – You will need one cup of buttermilk. Even though I told you that you can make your own buttermilk at home, store-bought is best for this recipe.
• Flour – No need for anything special. Just use regular all-purpose flour. I have not tried this recipe with any other type of flour.
• Baking Powder – This is used to increase the volume of the batter and to add texture as well.
• Baking Soda – Commonly known as sodium bicarbonate, or just bicarb, it is a baking ingredient that’s activated by a liquid and an acid to help with leavening or rising. 
• Salt – This is a common ingredient in baking and cooking. 
• Cinnamon – Commonly found in baked goods, cinnamon is aromatic with a warming flavour.
• Nutmeg – It is a key ingredient in many baked goods and has a wonderfully warming and homey flavour.

For the Frosting:

• Cream Cheese – When baking with cream cheese it is always best to use brick style rather than whipped or cream cheese in a tub.  The brick style is firmer and more condensed.  Cream cheese adds texture and flavour to baked items.
• Butter – Again, be sure to use room-temperature butter!
• Confectioner’s Sugar – This superfine sugar is sometimes called powdered sugar.  It is used in frostings quite often.  When dusted lightly onto cakes and cookies, it adds just a touch of sweetness, but more importantly, it looks very visually appealing!
• Vanilla Extract
• Buttermilk
• Easter Chocolate Eggs – You can use Cadbury Mini Eggs or Speckled Easter M&Ms.

HOW TO MAKE MY EASTER BUTTERMILK CAKE

To prepare the cake, begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees F. Prepare a bundt pan by coating the inside well with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside. In a large mixing bowl, beat together the butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time until they are fully incorporated. Next, beat in the vanilla extract and buttermilk until just mixed through.

Now, add in the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, ground nutmeg and ground cinnamon. Beat until just incorporated. Do not over-mix the batter. Transfer the batter to the prepared bundt pan and smooth out the top. Tap the pan firmly a few times onto a cutting board and place it in the oven.

Bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Remove the cake from the oven and allow it to cool in the bundt pan for 20 minutes. Turn out onto a wire cooling rack to finish cooling.

FROSTING AND DECORATING YOUR CAKE

In a mixing bowl, beat together the butter and the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the confectioner’s sugar one cup at a time, fully incorporating it into the butter mixture after each addition. Next, add the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Beat until combined.

Transfer the frosting mixture to a resealable bag or a piping bag. If using a resealable bag, cut the tip from one of the lower corners and make long sweeping motions over the cake, creating thick lines over the top, allowing the frosting to swoop down the side and into the middle of the bundt shape as well.

Next, fill the center hole of the bundt with a mixture of crushed and whole Easter-themed, candy-coated chocolate – much like Cadbury Mini Eggs or Easter M&Ms. This is optional, but it does make the cake much more festive and pretty!