Amish Cake
An easy, 1-bowl, 9×13 cake with that is extra moist. This Amish cake recipe has a butter, brown sugar & nut topping that bakes into the top of the cake.
Amish Cake Recipe
Old-fashioned, classic recipes are all the rage right now. Especially during the fall season, friends and family enjoy the aroma of butter and brown sugar wafting through the air. This easy Amish cake recipe comes from my favorite cookbook that is almost 30 years old. Fancy, swirled layer cakes certainly have their place, but a simple buttery cake recipe calls my name every.single.time.
Easy Cake Batter Recipe
The batter of this cake has only 6 ingredients:
Butter: We use salted butter, although most bakers bake with unsalted because then they can control the salt content. I’ve never had an issue with using salted butter, so since that is what we use everyday, it’s just easier to keep one butter on hand.
Brown Sugar: The reason why this cake has an amazing, deep, rich flavor.
Buttermilk: Buttermilk tenderizes cakes and makes them ultra moist. Don’t skip on this. If you don’t have buttermilk on hand, simply add a teaspoon of white vinegar to a measuring cup before filling it the rest of the way with milk. You’ll need two cups of buttermilk for this recipe.
Baking Soda & Flour: Traditional cake necessities!
Vanilla: Imitation vanilla may be cheaper, but your desserts will taste better every time if you use pure vanilla extract.
Broiled Brown Sugar Nut Topping
Although we’re crazy about frosting, sometimes you simplicity wins out. This Amish cake calls for a mixture of soft butter, milk, brown sugar and nuts. Spread this mixture on top of the warm cake and put it under the broiler on low for 1-3 minutes. Watch your cake closely. You don’t want it to burn! Remove it from the oven once the nut topping starts bubbling.
Seriously though…look at that moist cake. Unbelievable on its own, with a cup of coffee or a scoop of ice cream.


Amish Cake
An easy, 1-bowl, 9x13 cake with that is extra moist. This Amish cake recipe has a butter, brown sugar & nut topping that bakes into the top of the cake.
Servings 15
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 45 minutes
Total Time 55 minutes
Ingredients
- 1/2 cup butter softened
- 2 cups brown sugar packed
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 2 teaspoons baking soda
- 3 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Nut Topping:
- 6 tablespoons butter softened
- 4 tablespoons milk
- 1 cup brown sugar packed
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans or walnuts
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.
- In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar.
- Add the buttermilk and baking soda. Mix well.
- Add in the flour and vanilla. Mix until combined.
- Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes or until the center bounces back when you touch it.
- While the cake is baking, make the topping. In a bowl, combine the butter, milk, brown sugar and nuts. Mix well.
- Spread this mixture all over the top of the warm cake.
- Place under the broiler (turned to low) and bake for 1-3 minutes or until the nut topping is bubbling.
- Remove from the oven and allow the cake to cool.
- Serve warm alone, with whipped cream or with ice cream.
Video
Nutrition
Calories: 400kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 4g | Fat: 14g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Cholesterol: 32mg | Sodium: 288mg | Potassium: 148mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 44g | Vitamin A: 390IU | Calcium: 87mg | Iron: 1.6mg
Why do Amish get credit for recipes others have made for decades? My mother had made this cake ever since I can remember and I’m 52!
I baked this cake yesterday, but noticed that the recipe did not call for any eggs. I did, however add two. Please let me know if your kitchen tested the recipe and is it supposed to have any eggs. It was a good cake, but more the consistency of a coffee cake. Thank you for your response. Diane Fox
did you ever try adding apples to the cake part
This is very like a cake my grandmother used to make, one she called a “ busy day” cake, because it was one bowl, and no frosting, making it perfect for a busy day! I made this for a phone banking evening, and it literally disappeared! Really, you can’t go wrong with this cake. You can also try different nuts, coconut or dried apricots or cherries in the topping, it’s versatile and delicious. Try roasted, salted pecans for sweet and salty yumminess!
This is a very delicious cake. The recipe is very easy to make.
Wasn’t noted if u grease and flour the pan so I went ahead just to be safe…just took it out out the oven…smells yummy!
I made this cake yesterday for a family dinner today. It was delicious! I too wondered why no eggs but followed the recipe. My topping did not look like your picture and I used a whole cup of pecans instead of 1/2 cup. We had vanilla ice cream with it. I will make it again.
Cake was good but the topping made it very wet, almost to the point of tasting unbaked in the middle.
Can this be made with diet sugars and lowfat butter, esp for Diabetics.
I do have a quick question. I love this recipe and am looking forward to trying it. My grandson is allergic to nuts (luckily, he has outgrown the egg allergy) so can I make the frosting w/out nuts? Just Brown sugar, butter and milk?
I love Amish food period it is so good.
Is this considers vegan?