Plain cake
This is a classic, loaf-shaped cake, deliberately left plain for you to embellish as you choose.
89 K 3.5/5 (19 reviews)
1 hour 30 min.
Easy
3 cakes
6 IngredientsLast modified on: December 30th 2019
For 3 cakes, you will need:
- 1
450 g egg ( How to... ) - 2
375 g butter - 3
330 g caster sugar - 4
45 g vanilla sugar - 5
480 g flour - 6
30 g baking powder - Total weight: 1,710 grams
Change measures:
Times for this recipe
Preparation: 25 min.
Resting: 30 min.
Cooking: 35 min.
All in all: 1 hour 30 min.
If you start now, at , you will finish around : ?.Change start time
To finish around 7pm, you'll need to have started before: .Change end time
Step by step recipe
Stage 1 - 4 min.
Allow ingredients to come to room temperature
Take the butter out of the fridge at least 1 hour beforehand.
Break the eggs then weigh 375 g butter carefully; this is important for the rest of the recipe. Put into a bowl and leave at room temperature for at least 1 hour.
Stage 2 - 3 min.
Make the cake batter
Put into a food-mixer bowl: 375 g butter (cut into small pieces), 330 g caster sugar and 45 g vanilla sugar.
Stage 3 - 5 min.
Start beating and mix the sugar and butter thoroughly.
Stage 4 - 3 min.
Add the eggs one at a time...
Stage 5 - 2 min.
...and beat until the mixture is smooth.
Important: If the mixture begins to curdle, stop beating and plunge the bowl into a pan of hot water, beating with a hand whisk until the mixture homogenizes (normally about 1 minute).
Important: If the mixture begins to curdle, stop beating and plunge the bowl into a pan of hot water, beating with a hand whisk until the mixture homogenizes (normally about 1 minute).
Stage 6 - 2 min.
Sieve 480 g flour and 30 g baking powder together.
Stage 7 - 30 min.
Stage 8 - 2 min.
Bake the cake
Preheat the oven to 390°F (200°C).
Pour the batter into the mould or tin.
Note: As always with cakes, if you want a nice opening on top when baking, try this very effective trick.
Stage 9 - 35 min.
Bake for 30 to 40 minutes. Test the centre of the cake to check that it is cooked .
Remarks
If you want to include dry fruit, chocolate chips, etc., add these at stage 6, mixed with the flour.
Keeping: Several days.
Source: Based on recipe by Gaston Lenôtre.
Nutritional information
| Proteins (gr) | Carbohydrates (gr) | Fats (gr) | Energy value (in k-calories) | Energy value (in k-joules) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whole recipe | 100 RDI=40 % | 920 RDI=90 % | 370 RDI=60 % | 6,660 RDI=330 % | 27,880 RDI: 330 % |
| Per 100 g | 5 RDI=2 % | 50 RDI=5 % | 20 RDI=3 % | 390 RDI=20 % | 1,630 RDI: 20 % |
| Per cake | 30 RDI=10 % | 310 RDI=30 % | 120 RDI=20 % | 2,220 RDI=110 % | 9,290 RDI: 110 % |
How much will it cost?
- For 3 cakes : 6.20 €
- Per cake : 2.10 €
Change currency: 
Note: Be careful, these prices are only an estimate, you can consult the table of prices by ingredients used for this estimate.
This recipe uses (among others)
Flour
Like these other recipes: Cantucci di Prato, Four quarters, Cod loin with saffron, Pistachio madeleines, Génoise (Genoa sponge), ... See them all 204
Egg
Like these other recipes: Pistachio shortbread biscuits, Broccoli savoury custard, Broken eggs with mushrooms, "BN style" chocolate-filled biscuits, Tiramisu, ... See them all 238
Butter
Like these other recipes: Eggs "en cocotte" with spinach, Little caramelized peach tarts, Du Barry soup, French onion soup, Duet of creamed cauliflower and cabbage , ... See them all 476
Caster sugar
Like these other recipes: Gâteau Breton (Brittany butter cake), Fresh mint ice-cream, Almond macaroon cake, Nantes Tourton, Breton apple and rhubarb tart , ... See them all 361
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