buttermilk cake to die for!

 i have been making this cake for the last 10yrs.  i found it in the vogue entertaining cookbook "morning noon night"...and the page is very much buttermilk splattered (with love).  i believe in this cake so much because i have made it for non-cake lovers & they like it!  it is really easy to make & you can give it your point of difference if you want by adding lemon zest/orange juice or berries...i made this cake for my f-inlaws bday lunch & the girls helped me!  i decorated this cake with (thawed) frozen blueberries...thinking of the antioxidants!

buttermilk cake w vanilla butter icing (serves 8)

cake ingredients - 1/2 vanilla bean, 250g sugar, 125g butter, 2 eggs, 250g sr flour, 1 cup buttermilk

icing ingredients - 50g unsalted butter, 2 cups icing sugar, 1 tspn vanilla extract, pinch salt, a little boiling water

cake prepare - preheat the oven to 180.  grease & flour a 23cm round cake tine.  scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the sugar.  beat the butter & sugar together until creamy.  beat in the eggs, alternating w a little flour.  add the buttermilk & beat until smooth.  gradually & lightly fold in the remainder of the flour.  pour batter into the prepared tin & bake for approx 35 mins or until firm.  turn out & cool on rack.

icing prepare - beat the butter until light & creamy.  then gradually beat in the icing sugar together with the vanilla extract & salt.  thin icing with 1-2tbpns of boiling water.  spread over cooled cake w the back end of a knife...wonderful served w fresh berries or toasted coconut.