香草奶油蛋糕 Vanilla Butter Cake

This is the most tastiest butter cake (according to my maid and hubby) I have ever made. And, its crack free! I have bookmarked this recipe in my 'To Bake' list of cakes for a very long time but just never gotten to do it. 

这是我所制作的奶油蛋糕中最鲜美又富有浓厚香草味（根据女仆和老公所述）。对我来说这蛋糕最令我满意还是那不会有裂纹的特征，又其是奶油蛋糕一般上都会有裂纹的现像。

Last week I have still leftover vanilla pods from the making of french mille crepes, I decided to use it on making a basic cake. Something basic and generally acceptable by most people. I pondered over chiffon, sponge and butter cakes and finally settled on butter cake to ease my ample supply of butter in the fridge.

其实我很久以前就想尝试这个奶油蛋糕食谱而一直没机会，直到上个星期因制作法式香草千层蛋糕有剩余的香草种子正好可以派上用场。此外，家里冰箱里还有摆着许多闲着的奶油刚好可以快速减轻存货。

As it turned out, this cake is as good as what the recipe promised to deliver ...... a completely crack free butter cake. By using fresh vanilla seeds further enhanced the taste of this cake. I had reduced the sugar from the original recipe but it was still too sweet for my faithful cake enthusiasts. You might want to cut down on the sugar when baking this cake.

烘焙出的蛋糕真是如 Mrs NgSK's Butter Cake 里所描述的般完美，完全美有裂痕。加入香草根取出的种子给予蛋糕更浓厚的香味。尽此蛋糕的完美，我到认为太甜，建议糖可以减少10-20克。

Thumbs up to this wonderful recipe. 
给这个食谱的评分。。。赞！

香草奶油蛋糕 

Vanilla Butter Cake 

Recipe credit from  Mrs NgSK's Butter Cake

Ingredients 

288g Salted Butter 室温软化有盐奶油, softened at room temp

250g Eggs 鸡蛋, 蛋黄蛋白分隔 separate eggs yolks from whites

150g Castor Sugar 幼糖

250g Self Raising Flour 过筛自发粉, sifted

75ml Low Fat UHT Milk 低脂牛奶

1 Vanilla Bean 香草种子, seeds scraped 

50g Castor Sugar 幼糖 (for meringue)

Directions

Preheat oven to 170C degrees.

烤箱预热至170℃度.

Line base and grease sides of a 22x22x7cmD square baking pan with parchment paper. 

在22x22x7cmD方行烤盘的低及部及旁边铺上抹少许油的烘焙纸。

Place egg whites in a mixing bowl and beat until frothy. Add in 50g of castor sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks. Set aside.

将蛋白混合碗中，打至发泡再把50克的幼糖加入继续打发至达到了干性发泡的状态。那就是当提起打蛋器的时候，蛋白能拉出一个短小直立的尖角。待用。

Combine vanilla seeds with 150g castor sugar. Transfer the mixture to the mixing bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter with the castor sugar until pale and fluffy. 
把香草种子加入150克幼糖里混合，再把糖及奶油放入搅拌机的碗中以中速拌打至柔滑松发。

Add in egg yolks into the batter，one at a time and mix well after each addition until well combined.

将蛋黄隔别混入已打松发的奶油糊里搅拌至均匀。

Add in half of the sifted flour and mix on low speed until combined. Add in milk to incorporate. Add in the remaining flour and mix on low speed till combined.

把一半已过筛的发粉加入以上的奶油蛋黄糊里，以慢速搅拌混合。再将牛奶倒入混合，之后把剩余的发粉混入继续以慢速搅拌至均匀。

Transfer half of the egg whites mixture into the batter and continue mixing on low speed until incorporated. Fold in the balance egg whites to the batter.

最后把一半的蛋白霜加入面糊继续以慢速度混合均匀，其后将剩余的蛋白霜用橡皮刮刀轻轻翻拌均匀（从低部往上翻拌，不要划圈搅拌以免蛋白消泡。

Transfer and level cake batter into cake pan.

将混合好的蛋糕糊倒入模具，抹平。

Bake in preheated oven at 170C degrees for 30mins and another 15 mins on 150C degrees, or until skewer inserted comes out clean.

放进预热烤箱以170℃度烘烤30分钟，再把烤箱温度调低至150℃度烘烤15分钟，直到蛋糕完全熟透为至。

Unmould cake from pan and leave to cool on cooling rack.

烤好后的蛋糕从烤箱取出，脱模放在冷却架上待凉。