Copycat Butter Cake - Cookies and Cups

By: Shelly
Posted: Might 6, 2025

This insanely moist Copycat Butter Cake Recipe is a dupe for the Crumbl Butter Cake and the nice and cozy butter cake at California Pizza Kitchen. I’ve had each (many occasions) and discover they’re VERY related in texture and taste. So if you happen to take pleasure in both of these, or simply love a heat butter cake, you’ll LOVE this simple recipe!

Ice cream melting on a copycat California pizza kitchen butter cake served on a white plate — Copycat Butter Cake - Cookies and Cups 40

Why You’ll Love This Copycat Butter Cake

EASY! This butter cake recipe has minimal substances and is straightforward to make. That is the proper recipe for starting bakers who actually wish to impress.
A DUPE! Just like the identify suggests it is a “copycat” recipe impressed by each the California Pizza Kitchen Butter Cake in addition to the Butter Cake that Crumbl has on their menu each few weeks. They’re each dense and moist, served heat with ice cream, or at Crumbl they serve it with a scoop of whipped frosting on prime!
ADAPTABLE! This cake (after it cools) has a really related texture to an insanely moist pound cake. It’s the good cake to make use of for Strawberry Shortcake, drizzled with honey, dusted with powdered sugar, or with whipped cream and various berries.

Visual of the ingredients needed for this butter cake recipe — Copycat Butter Cake - Cookies and Cups 41

Butter Cake Elements

This cake recipe has minimal substances which is a part of the attraction. You may even have every little thing in your kitchen proper now, which is just too tempting! As at all times bear in mind to scroll to the underside of the publish to the recipe card with the total record of substances and directions!

Butter. I exploit salted butter on this recipe. It’s a quite simple recipe so that you wish to add as a lot taste as you may to reinforce the minimal ingredient record! I discover that utilizing salted butter prevents the cake from being bland.
Granulated sugar. You’ll use some within the cake batter, however then additionally some to coat the pan, making a barely crispy crust on the baked cake. It’s scrumptious!
Baking powder & salt. Each of those substances are customary in most cake recipes. The baking powder aids within the cake rising, and the salt creates a taste base. In the event you use unsalted butter you don’t want to extend the quantity of extra salt.
Vanilla extract. You can too use vanilla bean paste on this recipe OR a mix of vanilla and almond extract. I choose to maintain it easy with all vanilla, however when I’ve examined it with the almond extract it’s additionally excellent. It offers it extra of a “wedding ceremony cake” taste.
Eggs. I exploit massive sized eggs on this recipe. You add them separately into the batter and blend totally in between every addition.
Buttermilk. The buttermilk on this recipe offers the cake a really tender crumb. It’s a texture-maker! In the event you don’t occur to have buttermilk in your fridge, you may take a look at my recipe for How To Make Homemade Buttermilk . It’s VERY simple and an ideal answer!
Flour. I merely use plain all objective flour on this recipe!

An individual butter cake on a white plate topped with vanilla ice cream and a bite taken out showing the tender inside — Copycat Butter Cake - Cookies and Cups 42

Ideas When Making This Copycat Crumbl Butter Cake

Use all room temperature substances. That is nearly at all times greatest observe when baking, as a result of it ensures that your cake (or no matter you’re baking) will bake evenly!
Will be made forward or proper earlier than serving. The great thing about this cake is that’s is supposed to be served heat, so that you don’t have to fret an excessive amount of about it cooling down earlier than having fun with! In the event you do make it upfront, warmth the cake within the microwave earlier than serving! Or definitely you may take pleasure in it at room temperature.
Don’t over-mix! After getting the flour and the buttermilk combined in to create the batter don’t hold mixing. The tenderness of this cake is a part of it’s appeal, and overmixing will produce a really dense cake!

Butter cake baked in white ramekins on a wire rack to cool — Baked in 6 ounce ramekins

Bake This Two Methods

I’ve labored with this recipe to be loved as particular person servings like they do at California Pizza Kitchen and Crumbl, or as an entire cake to be sliced and served which makes it additional simple to prep if you happen to don’t have ramekins.

As single servings, put together the recipe as directed and prep individual ramekins with nonstick spray and small parchment rounds. Coat the ramekins with granulated sugar after which fill them 3/4 of the way in which full. Bake for 25 minutes, or till the middle is about and a toothpick comes out clear.
For one single cake put together a 9- inch spherical pan with nonstick spray and line the underside of the pan with a spherical of parchment paper. Coat all the pan with a number of tablespoons of granulated sugar after which fill the pan with the cake batter. Bake for about half-hour, or till the middle of the cake is about and a toothpick comes out clear.

A warm baked cpk butter cake on a white plate — Copycat Butter Cake - Cookies and Cups 43

How To Serve Butter Cake

The enjoyable a part of this copycat butter cake recipe is that it may be loved some ways. Right here is a few inspiration:

With vanilla ice cream. That is my favourite method to take pleasure in this cake when it’s heat. The ice cream melts and creates essentially the most gooey, buttery cake expertise ever!
On it’s personal. In the event you bake an entire cake, take pleasure in a slice of this at room temperature with a cup of espresso for breakfast. You gained’t be disenchanted.
With whipped cream and berries. Whether or not you make this as single servings or as a sliced cake, you may serve it with recent whipped cream and berries, like strawberries for an insanely scrumptious Strawberry shortcake!

A large single layer butter cake topped with vanilla ice cream on a white plate — Copycat Butter Cake - Cookies and Cups 45

Storage Directions

Retailer this cake hermetic at room temperature for as much as 3 days. You can too freeze this cake in an hermetic container for as much as 2 months. Enable it to thaw at room temperature earlier than serving or warming.

Description

This butter cake recipe is impressed by each the nice and cozy butter cake at California Pizza Kitchen in addition to at Crumbl Cookie. It’s moist, tender, and SO good topped with vanilla ice cream!

1 cup salted butter, room temperature
1 cup granulated sugar, plus extra for coating the pan
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract and 1/2 teaspoon almond extract)
3 massive eggs
1 1/2 cups all objective flour
1 cup buttermilk

Preheat the oven to 375°. Coat a 9- inch spherical cake pan with nonstick spray. Line the underside of the pan with a spherical of parchment paper and spray once more with nonstick spray. Sprinkle about 1 1/2 tablespoons of granulated sugar within the backside of the pan evenly and across the sides of the pan. Put aside. (*see word for making particular person truffles)
Within the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment combine the butter and remaining 1 cup of the granulated sugar collectively on medium velocity for five minutes. You need the butter to be tremendous mild and fluffy. Add within the vanilla extract, the baking powder, and the salt and blend for 30 seconds to include.
Add within the eggs separately, mixing effectively after every. Scrape the edges of the blending bowl as mandatory. Flip the mixer to low and add within the flour and the buttermilk in alternating additions starting and ending with the flour till mixed and easy.
Unfold the batter into the ready pan and bake for 25 – half-hour, or till the middle is about and a toothpick comes out clear.

Notes

*To make particular person parts use 6- ounce ramekins. Put together every with cooking spray, a parchment spherical, and granulated sugar as directed above. Fill every 3/4 full (about 1/2 cup of batter). Bake for 25 minutes, or till the middle is about.