1-2-3-4 CAKE

 I tasted this cake at my cousin's. It was her daughter's birthday and she served this cake.(she had just baked it and was still warm). It tasted so good , like the ones(vanilla cakes) you get at the bakeries.  It was awesome . My cousin sister makes this often. She makes different variations out of this, like marble cake , lemon cake etc. The cake calls for the traditional method of creaming the butter and sugar , adding the eggs later and then alternating with the flour and liquid. But sometimes she does a dump in , one bowl method and so do I.
The 1-2-3-4 cake gets its name from the proportions of its base ingredients: one cup butter, two cups of sugar, three cups of flour, four eggs.
The basic 1-2-3-4 cake recipe(it's so easy to remember):

1. 1 cup butter
2. 2 cups sugar
3. 3 cups flour
4. 4 eggs
5. 1 cup milk
6. 3 tsp baking powder
7. 1 and 1/2 tsp salt
8. 3 tsp vanilla essence

• Halve the amount of the recipe to bake a normal 8 inch cake .
• This is the base , you can tweak it accordingly to change the texture.
• My cousin uses Amul butter and that gives a very nice flavor to the cake . If you are using Amul butter , skip the salt.

VERSION 1:I have the tweaked the cake recipe - Dump in , one bowl cake:

INGREDIENTS(I have halved the recipe and changed some of the measurements of the ingredients)

1. 1/2 cup unsalted butter
2. 1 cup sugar
3. 1 and 1/2 cup flour
4. 2 eggs
5. 1/2 cup boiling water
6. 1/4 cup whole milk yogurt
7. 1 tsp vanilla essence or 1/4 tsp lemon or orange essence
8. 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
9. 3/4 tsp salt

METHOD

• I have used a 10 inch Bundt pan for this cake. Grease the Bundt pan . I have not floured it.
  

• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degree F for 15 minutes.
• Melted the butter in a bowl . Keep it in the microwave for 2 minutes on power 2. If it hasn't melted yet put it for another1 minute on power 2.The butter needn't melt completely, atleast 3/4 of the butter should be melted.
  

  

• Boil 1/2 cup water in a microwave or on the stove top.
• In a bowl whisk in the flour , salt , baking powder and sugar. Top it with eggs , yogurt and the melted butter.
  

  

  
  
  

  

• A cake mixer or a simple balloon whisk can be used to mix the batter.
• Beat the batter , gradually adding the boiling water . Mix until a smooth batter is formed.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 22 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  

  

  
  
  

  

• Cover the pan with a cloth to keep the cake moist.
• After about 5 minutes, loosen the sides of the cake using a plastic or silicon spatula. Using a silicon or plastic spatula avoids scraping the sides of the Bundt pan.
  
  
  
  

• Cover the Bundt pan with a plate and invert the pan. Do not release the cake now. Keep it as is for 5 minutes . then lift the pan slowly.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

• Slice and enjoy while warm.
  
  
  

VERSION 2: Same recipe but using the traditional , creaming method:

• The Ingredients remain the same.

METHOD

• The texture of the cake from the one bowl method and the cake from the traditional creaming method is very different. Obviously the cake obtained from the creaming method has a finer crumb. The top one in the picture is the one bowl cake and the bottom one is the cake obtained from creaming method.
  
• Initially I used to do the creaming method , but since the one bowl method is easy I switched to that.
• While doing the creaming method , softened butter is used. You can soften the butter by taking it overnight and keeping it on the countertop . This will work fine in warmer weather but not during the winter months.
• I wanted something easier so that I could just pull out the butter and start making the batter. So this is what I do.
• Take out the butter from the fridge  and throw it in a bowl. 
• Keep the 1/2 cup of boiling water ready. Pre-heat the oven to 350 degree F for 15 minutes.
  
  
  
  
• Keep the dry ingredients whisked up. Measure and keep the sugar ready.
• Using the cake mixer try to beat the butter . It won't be easy , because the butter is not soft.

         

          

• Now add 1 Tbsp of the boiling water and then beat with the cake mixer. Do this a number of times and the butter will become soft and will be whipped up.
  
  
  
  
• Now add in the sugar , 2 Tbsp at a time , alternating  with the boiling water and beat till you finish the sugar and the boiling water. You will get a buttercream consistency.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

         

• Stop beating , scrape the sides of the bowl and then beat on high speed for exactly 1 minute. The buttercream will be fluffy.
  

• Now add in the eggs , vanilla essence and yogurt.
• Beat till incorporated. The batter will look curdled but that's ok . Adding in the flour will straighten that.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

•  Now add in the dry ingredients all at once. Turn on the mixer at the lowest speed and beat until the flour is wet. Then gradually increase the speed to high and mix till everything is just incorporated. For an even softer cake fold in the flour using the spatula .(ditch the cake mixer).
  

         

• Pour into an oiled bundt pan . I have not floured it.
  
  
  
  

• Bake at 350 degree F for 25 to 28 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
  

        

VERSION3 : One bowl method with oil

INGREDIENTS

1. 6 Tbsp. oil
2. 1 cup sugar
3. 1 and 1/2 cup flour
4. 2 eggs
5. 1/2 cup milk
6. 1 tsp vanilla essence 
7. 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
8. 1/2 tsp salt

METHOD

• I have used a 10 inch non-sticky bundt pan for this . I just oil the bundt pan and keep it inverted until ready to use.
• Pre-heat the oven to 350 degree F for 15 minutes.
• Combine all the dry ingredients together , in a bowl. 

• Add 2 eggs, 1/2 cup milk , essence , 1/4 cup oil to this.
  

• Now using the cake mixer , beat on the lowest speed until everything is incorporated.
  
  
  
  

• Scrape the sides of the bowl , pour in 1/2 cup milk and beat until combined.
  

  

  
  
  

  

  
  
  

  

• Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 25 to 28 minutes or till a toothpick comes out moist but not wet. 
  

  

  
  
  

  

EGGLESS 1-2-3-4 CAKE

1. 1/2 cup unsalted butter
2. 1 cup sugar
3. 1 and 1/2 cup flour
4. 1/2 cup whole milk yogurt (1/4 cup for each egg)
5. 1/2 cup boiling water
6. 1/4 cup whole milk yogurt
7. 1 tsp vanilla essence 
8. 1-1/2 tsp baking powder
9. 1/2  tsp salt

METHOD

• Use the creaming method , described above.

NOTES

• I just apply oil to my non- sticky bundt pan. I don't flour it . Just oil it and keep it inverted until ready to use. If kept upright for  a long time , the oil tends to settle down towards the bottom.
• For a light orange or lemon flavor or pineapple flavor add 1/4 tsp lemon or orange or pineapple essence.
• 2 Tbsp grated lemon or orange can be added for extra punch.
• Add 1 cup frozen blueberries and reduce the 2 Tbsp sugar from 1 cup , to make blueberry muffins.
• Remove 3 Tbsp flour from the 1 and 1/2 cup flour and add 2 Tbsp cocoa , to make a chocolate cake.(for 1/2 the quantity of the  1-2-3-4 cake)
• Make half vanilla batter and half cocoa batter and combine to make a zebra cake or a marble cake.
• Yogurt is a good combination when used with butter.