This traditional recipe is such an easy and versatile cake! I used this batter to make my family’s traditional mountain cake for the holidays, but whatever mold you choose, just make sure to check that it is cooked about 30 minutes after being in the oven. Since my mold is made from ceramic, it took a bit longer to cook, but I started testing its doneness 45 minutes after putting it in the oven. I also added cardamon to this batter to give it a warming flavor.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, at room temperature

• 2 cups granulated sugar

• 3 cups all-purpose flour

• 4 eggs

• 1 cup whole milk

• 1 teaspoon baking powder

• 1/2 cup ground cardamom

• 1 teaspoon salt

Yields: 1 cake ( 9 inches)

Prep Time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 45 minutes to 1 hour

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F.

2. Place the butter in the bowl of the stand mixer that has a whisk attachment.

3. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is creamy.

4. In the meantime, sift the flour into a bowl with salt, baking powder and the ground cardamom. Set aside.

5. To the butter/ sugar mixture, add the eggs, one at a time.

6. When the eggs are well incorporated, alternate adding in the flour mixture with milk.

7. The batter should be creamy and smooth. Pour into whatever mold you choose to use. I used a mountain cake ceramic mold (similar product). You may wish to use a bundt cake mold.

8. I baked my cake for 1 hour making sure to check it very often.

9. Allow to cool, then unfold and serve with fruit or lemon curd sauce.