Updated: May 5, 2012 8:02AM

Cake

16 tablespoons (1 cup) unsalted butter

4 eggs

¾ cup buttermilk

3 cups unbleached all-purpose flour

½ teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

1½ teaspoons sea salt

1¾ cups granulated sugar

2

teaspoons pure vanilla extract

Glaze

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1½ cups confectioner’s sugar

1/8 teaspoon sea salt½ te

aspoon pure vanilla extract

5 teaspoons milk

For cake: Remove butter, eggs and buttermilk from refrigerator; allow them to become room temperature while you measure other ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Grease and flour 1 Bundt pan or 2 loaf pans. In large bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and 1½ teaspoons sea salt; set aside. When butter is 60 degrees, cream it with granulated sugar using an electric mixer (paddle attachment on stand mixer) for 5 minutes. Add room temperature eggs one at a time, beating to incorporate after each egg. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla and incorporate.

Alternately, add flour mixture and buttermilk, beginning and ending with dry ingredients (1/3 of flour mixture, half the buttermilk, then additional 1/3 flour, remainder of buttermilk, remainder of flour).

Pour batter into Bundt pan or 2 loaf pans and use spatula or back of spoon to flatten batter, Bake 45 to 55 minutes. Keep an eye on cake when top is domed and light brown; check for doneness by inserting toothpick (it should come out clean). Do not over-bake (it will dry cake). Allow cakes to rest in pan or pans for 15 minutes before removing.

For glaze: Melt 1 tablespoon butter in small pan on low heat; put in bowl to cool slightly. Sift together confectioner’s sugar and 1/8 teaspoon sea salt. Using whisk, mix sugar and salt into melted butter. Add ½ teaspoon vanilla; stir. Add milk, 1 tablespoon at a time, stirring with whisk. Add less or more milk to reach desired consistency. After cake has cooled, drizzle glaze over cake.

Spice Islands

Nutrition facts per serving:

311 calories, 17 g fat, 11 g saturated fat, 79 mg cholesterol, 38 g carbohydrates, 2 g protein, 371 mg sodium, 0 g fiber

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