Julie Clark
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Amish Cake
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An easy, 1-bowl, 9×13 cake with that is extra moist. This Amish cake recipe has a butter, brown sugar & nut topping that bakes into the top of the cake.
Old-fashioned, classic recipes are all the rage right now. Especially during the fall season, friends and family enjoy the aroma of butter and brown sugar wafting through the air.
This easy Amish cake recipe comes from my favorite cookbook that is almost 30 years old. Fancy, swirled layer cakes certainly have their place, but a simple buttery cake with walnut topping calls my name every.single.time.
Amish Cake Ingredients
The batter of this cake has only 6 ingredients:
- Butter: We use salted butter, although most bakers bake with unsalted because then they can control the salt content. I’ve never had an issue with using salted butter, so since that is what we use everyday, it’s just easier to keep one butter on hand.
- Brown Sugar: The reason why this cake has an amazing, deep, rich flavor.
- Buttermilk: Buttermilk tenderizes cakes and makes them ultra moist. Don’t skip on this. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, simply add a teaspoon of white vinegar to a measuring cup before filling it the rest of the way with milk. You’ll need two cups of buttermilk for this recipe.
- Baking Soda & Flour: Traditional cake necessities!
- Vanilla: Imitation vanilla may be cheaper, but your desserts will taste better every time if you use pure vanilla extract.
- Milk: For mixing the broiled cake topping.
- Pecans or Walnuts: Which gives the topping of the cake a delicious crunch.
And you’ll notice, no eggs! It’s not a mistake. This cake has no eggs in it.
Broiled Nut Topping
Although we’re crazy about frosting, sometimes you simplicity wins out. This Amish cake calls for a mixture of soft butter, milk, brown sugar and nuts. Spread this mixture on top of the warm cake and put it under the broiler on low for 1-3 minutes.
Watch your cake closely. You don’t want it to burn! Remove it from the oven once the nut topping starts bubbling.
Storage Instructions
- Room temperature: Store any leftover Amish coffee cake in an airtight container on the counter for up to 48 hours.
- Refrigerator: Store this cake in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Bring to room temperature before eating.
- Freezer: Freeze the cake whole or sliced in an airtight container for up to 2 months. Thaw at room temperature before eating.
Other Coffee Cake Recipes
- Cream Filled Coffee Cake
- Rhubarb Coffee Cake
- Butterscotch Coffee Cake
- Yogurt Streusel Coffee Cake
- Amish Friendship Cake
Amish Recipes to Love
- Amish Pineapple Pie
- Amish Peanut Butter Spread
- Amish Apple Goodie (Apple Crisp!)
Amish Cake
An easy, 1-bowl, 9×13 cake with that is extra moist. This Amish cake recipe has a butter, brown sugar & nut topping that bakes into the top of the cake.
Servings 15
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup salted butter (softened) 4 ounces
- 2 cups brown sugar (packed) 400 grams
- 2 cups buttermilk 16 ounces
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 5 grams
- 3 cups all-purpose flour 390 grams
- 2 teaspoons baking soda 10 grams
Nut Topping:
- 6 tablespoons salted butter (softened) 2.7 ounces
- 4 tablespoons whole milk 2 ounces
- 1 cup brown sugar (packed) 200 grams
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Spray a 9×13" baking pan with cooking spray.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar. Add the buttermilk and vanilla extract. Whisk well. ½ cup salted butter, 2 cups brown sugar, 2 cups buttermilk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- Mix in the flour and baking soda, mixing until well combined. 3 cups all-purpose flour, 2 teaspoons baking soda
- Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes or until the center bounces back when you touch it.
- While the cake is baking, make the topping. In a bowl, combine the butter, milk, brown sugar and nuts. Mix well. 6 tablespoons salted butter, 4 tablespoons whole milk, 1 cup brown sugar , ½ cup chopped pecans
- Spread this mixture all over the top of the warm cake.
- Place under the broiler (turned to low) and bake for 1-3 minutes or until the nut topping is bubbling. Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool.
- Serve warm alone, with whipped cream or with ice cream.
Video
Notes
If you only have unsalted butter, add ¼ teaspoon salt.
The calories shown are based on the cake being cut into 15 pieces, with 1 serving being 1 slice of cake. Since different brands of ingredients have different nutritional information, the calories shown are just an estimate.
Nutrition
Calories: 401kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 288mg | Potassium: 150mg | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 390IU | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 1.6mg
I presume this is a 9×13 pan. Did you spray it or butter it? Also is there no salt in the cake? Looks delicious!