Recipes

Golden Cake Batter Bread

James Beard

Author and Educator

"A light, rather sweetish, easy-to-make bread that is similar to Sally Lunn. It will slice nicely if baked in a tube pan according to the directions, and it can be reheated, wrapped in foil and buttered if you wish, in a 350ºF oven for 10 to 15 minutes or in the microwave oven for 20 seconds. It makes an attractive loaf of bread for a gift."

--James Beard

Ingredients

  • 4 to 4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 package active dry yeast
  • 1 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Method

In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine 2 cups of the flour, sugar, salt, and yeast.

Heat milk and butter in a saucepan until the milk is warm; the butter does not need to melt. Add to the flour mixture along with the eggs and vanilla extract.

With the mixer at its lowest speed, combine all ingredients just until the flour is moistened; then beat 2 minutes at medium speed. By hand, stir in the remaining flour to form a stiff batter.

Cover and let rise in a warm, draft-free place until doubled in size, about 1 hour.

Butter a 10-inch tube pan. Stir down the dough and spread it in the pan. Let it rise again until it is doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes more.

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until golden brown. Cool for 5 minutes before removing from the pan.

Yield

1 loaf