I seem to always crave cake. It doesn’t matter if it’s morning, noon or night, I want cake. When I found this recipe, I was super excited because it is not your typical birthday cake, cake. The single layer makes it look so elegant, and the glaze… oh my! Absolutely delicious. This is a basic vanilla cake recipe, and to make it my own, I put a few drops of green food coloring to make it extra pretty. Perfect for you Easter dinner table centerpiece! So let’s get to baking…

What you will need:

One 8 in. round cake pan

For the cake:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter at room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar
2 large eggs at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup milk (whole milk would be best but 1% or 2% will work fine)
Food coloring (optional)

For the glaze:
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar
2 tablespoons milk
1 teaspoon lemon juice
Zest of 1 lemon (optional for extra lemon flavor)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit. Butter or spray an 8 in. round cake pan and dust with flour. Set aside.

To make the cake:

In a large bowl (or bowl of your electric mixer), stir together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Slowly add the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until the mixture resembles coarse sand. Beat in the sugar, also very slowly, until the mixture resembles fine damp sand. Beat in the eggs, one at a time. Add the vanilla, milk and food coloring (if using) and beat until just blended. Do not overbeat.

Pour batter into the prepared cake pan and bake for 30-35 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes on a wire rack. Then, invert cake to cool completely while you make the glaze.

To make the glaze: 

Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat until golden brown, about 7-10 minutes. In a separate bowl, whisk the sugar, milk, lemon juice and zest together. Add the melted butter in a stream while whisking until smooth. Let the glaze cool a minute or two to thicken before pouring over the cooled cake.

Pour the glaze carefully over the center of the cake. Let sit for at least 20 minutes before cutting and serving. Enjoy!