Philadelphia-Style Butter Cake Recipe

Difficulty: Easy
Servings: 10 to 12 portions
Nutrition Per Serving (1 of 12): 469 calories, 23 g fat, 13 g saturated fat, 61 g carbohydrates, 1 g fiber, 37 g sugar, 6 g protein, 99 mg cholesterol, 264 mg sodium
Total Time: 3 hr 20 min (including rising and cooling)
Active Time: 25 min

Indulge in this irresistible Philadelphia butter cakea decadent treat blending a tender yeast dough with a luxurious, buttery vanilla custard filling. Fresh from the oven, it boasts a golden, crackly top hiding a gooey center you'll crave every bite of. Rooted in Northeast Philly's German baking heritage, this adapted butterkuchen is simple to whip up at home with pantry staples and a little rise time. Get ready to impress with bakery-quality bliss!

Ingredients

Dough:

1/2 cup whole milk
1 packet (1/4 ounce) active dry yeast
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 large egg, room temperature
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour (see notes below)
Vegetable oil for greasing

Filling:

2 sticks (1 cup) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups superfine sugar
2 large eggs, room temperature
5 tablespoons whole milk
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preparation Steps

Warm milk in a small saucepan over low heat to 105F-115F. Pour into a bowl, sprinkle with yeast, and let activate for 5 minutes.
In a stand mixer with paddle attachment, cream butter, sugar, and salt until smooth, about 1 minute. Beat in egg and vanilla until incorporated.
Switch to dough hook; add flour and yeast mixture. Mix on low to hydrate, then medium for 2-3 minutes until dough is soft and pulls from bowl sides.
Oil a large bowl; place dough inside, turn to coat, cover, and let rise 1-1.5 hours until doubled.
Butter a 9x13-inch pan. Press risen dough to cover bottom and 3/4 up sides (about 1 inch). Set aside.
For filling: Beat butter and superfine sugar with paddle on medium until fluffy, 2 minutes. Add eggs one at a time, then milk and vanilla. Mix in flour and salt on low.
Spread filling evenly over dough. Let rise 20 minutes while preheating oven to 375F.
Bake 30 minutes, rotating halfway, until top is golden and matte, center jiggles slightly.
Cool completely before slicing. Best fresh, but stores covered up to 3 days.

Helpful Tips

Spoon and level flour to avoid dense, dry cakedon't scoop straight from the bag!
Expect a liquidy, wobbly filling pre- and post-bake; it firms as it cools, oozing delightfully for dipping crust edges.