There's nothing quite like a home made cake, especially for those special occasions. If you don't have any recipes that have been handed down from generation to generation over the years, you'll need a cake recipe made from scratch. Thankfully, we've come to the rescue with this great recipe idea.

Blue-Ribbon Butter Cake Recipe

Whisk cream 1 cup butter and 2 cups sugar in a large bowl until it's light and fluffy. Add 4 eggs and beat after each one. Add 2 teaspoons vanilla extract. Beat again. Now in a separate container combine 3 cups all-purpose flour, 1 teaspoon baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Add this to the mixture and also put in 1 cup buttermilk.

Baking

Pour all this into a greased and floured pan. Bake this at 350 degrees for 65 minutes. Then cool for 10 minutes. Run a knife around the edge of the cake, invert it and place onto a wire rake.

Sauce

Combine 1 cup sugar, 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup water in a saucepan. Cook this over a moderate heat until the butter's melted and the sugar's dissolved. Now stir in 1-1/2 teaspoons almond extract and 1-1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract.

To finish

To complete this classic cake recipe made from scratch, poke a selection of holes in the top of the cake while it's warm. Spoon 1/4 cup of sauce over the cake then let the whole thing stand until the sauce is fully absorbed. Do this again and then allow to cool.

Made from scratch

This classic cake recipe is made from scratch in less than 90 minutes all told. That's not bad if you're looking to bake something fresh for the evening meal. This one's also easy to make and doesn't need any exotic ingredients but it'll taste great whether you're entertaining or baking a treat for the family.