Wedding Cake I (Spiced Butter Cake)

Ingredients

• 150 grams Unsalted butter, softened (Original recipe calls for 1 lb (approx. 454g) butter. This recipe is scaled down for a modern home cake (e.g., two 8-inch layers).)
• 150 grams Granulated sugar (Original recipe calls for 1 lb (approx. 454g) sugar.)
• 4 units Large eggs (Original recipe calls for 12 eggs.)
• 150 grams All-purpose flour, sifted (Original recipe calls for 1 lb (approx. 454g) flour.)
• 0.66 teaspoon Ground cinnamon (Original recipe calls for 2 teaspoons cinnamon. Approximately 2/3 tsp for scaled recipe.)
• 0.25 teaspoon Ground nutmeg (Original recipe calls for 3/4 teaspoon nutmeg. Approximately 1/4 tsp for scaled recipe.)
• 1 teaspoon Baking powder (Modern addition for leavening, not in original recipe.)
• 0.5 teaspoon Salt (Modern addition to balance flavors, not in original recipe.)
• 1 teaspoon Vanilla extract (Modern addition for flavor, not in original recipe.)

Instructions

1. 1Preheat your oven to 175°C (350°F). Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans, or line the bottoms with parchment paper. In a medium bowl, sift together the all-purpose flour, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, and salt. Whisk these dry ingredients thoroughly to combine and set aside.
2. 2In a large mixing bowl, using an electric mixer, cream together the softened unsalted butter and granulated sugar on medium-high speed until the mixture is light in color and fluffy, about 3-4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl with a spatula as needed to ensure even mixing.
3. 3Add the large eggs one at a time to the creamed butter and sugar mixture, beating well after each addition until fully incorporated. Once all eggs are added, stir in the vanilla extract. The mixture may appear slightly curdled at this stage, which is normal.
4. 4With the mixer on low speed, gradually add the sifted dry ingredients (from Step 1) to the wet mixture. Mix until just combined and no streaks of flour remain. Be careful not to overmix the batter, as this can lead to a tough cake.
5. 5Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared cake pans. Place the pans in the preheated oven and bake for 30-35 minutes, or until a wooden skewer inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean. The cakes should be golden brown and spring back lightly when touched.
6. 6Once baked, remove the cakes from the oven and let them cool in their pans on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes. After this initial cooling, carefully invert the cakes onto the wire rack to cool completely. This final cooling step will take at least 30 minutes before frosting or serving.