Basic utility/butter cake?

I've been using a packet cake mix (for shame!!!) to make birthday cakes for my kiddies. In my defence, it is a cake mix from a cake shop, made on their premises, so not just a white wings or anything.

But it's probably cheaper to make my own from scratch and it's about time I worked out my dodgy oven. I also had an almost cake fail today using the packet and want to see if it is the mix or the oven.

So what's your best, tried and tested, always works, easy peasy type basic cake recipe? For cutting and making into trains and pricesses and whatever? Doesn't have to be a butter cake, chocolate is fine too.

I need to get baking!

Subbing to this too!

My favourite, easy, delicious, carvable, buildable, etc cake is from the good old AWW birthday cake book is described in quantity as the same as one packet mix.

125g butter, room temperature
1/2 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup castor sugar
2 eggs
1 1/2 cups self raising flour (well, I use plain flour with 3 tsp baking powder)
1/3 cup milk

Beat butter and vanilla until light and creamy, add sugar, beat until light and fluffy; add eggs one and a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in half the sifted flour with half the milk, stir until combined. Add remaining milk and flour, stir in lightly, then beat lightly until mixture is smooth. Spread into greased tin, bake at 190°C until done. (Different size tins take different times)

Enjoy, I make this for my bigger birthday cakes, like my lightning mcqueen cake I did a few weeks back.

Thanks Netix! I think I've got the AWW cookbook somewhere, I should dig that out!

cadbury s moist chocolate cake is a good one.

what you need

1 cup water
1 ¼ cups caster sugar
125g butter
½ cup CADBURY Bournville Cocoa
½ teaspoon bicarbonate soda
1¼ cups self raising flour
2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 cup icing mixture
⅓ cup of CADBURY Bournville Cocoa
30g butter, softened
Hot water



make it

1. COMBINE water, sugar, butter, Cocoa and bicarbonate soda in a saucepan and warm, but do not boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Then bring to the boil and simmer gently for 2 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl and cool for 30 minutes.
2. ADD the flour and eggs and beat until just combined. Pour into a greased and base-lined 20cm cake pan. Bake in a moderate oven 180°C for 40 minutes or until cooked. Cool for 10 minutes before turning onto a wire rack to cool completely.
3. SIFT together the icing mixture and Cocoa. Mix in the butter and enough hot water to form a soft icing. Spread over the cooled cake and decorate as desired.