Maggiano’s Gigi Butter Cake Recipe

If you love butter cake, you’ll enjoy this Maggiano’s Gigi butter cake recipe. I’m sharing my homemade version in this article, and I hope you like it.

Maggiano’s Gigi Butter Cake was created by the renowned Italian chef Maggiano. This light and fluffy butter cake, with a sweet glaze, is loved in Italy and the United States. It’s made with simple ingredients like butter, sugar, eggs, flour, and buttermilk.

If you’ve had Maggiano’s Gigi Butter Cake, you know how amazing it is. If you haven’t, you’re missing out on a fantastic dessert. Maggiano’s Little Italy is known for this cake, which is a true baking masterpiece.

It’s a unique cake – light and dense, buttery and sweet, with a hint of vanilla. It has a crispy outer layer and a soft center. It’s served with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce for extra deliciousness. And the best part is, you can make it at home with our simple recipe. We’ll show you how to make this fantastic cake from scratch, using basic ingredients and steps.

To make this delicious cake, you just need a few basic ingredients and some time in the kitchen. With this Maggiano’s Gigi Butter Cake recipe, you can create a unique dessert that everyone will love.

The story behind this recipe

The recipe for Maggiano’s Gigi’s Butter Cake isn’t totally clear, but it’s believed to be a special dessert from Maggiano’s Little Italy, a chain of Italian-American restaurants in the United States. They’ve been serving this cake for a long time, and people really love it.

The name “Gigi” might come from one of the founders of Maggiano’s, Gigi Pappas. But we’re not exactly sure where the recipe came from. It could be inspired by traditional Italian desserts or other butter cakes. But regardless of where it came from, Maggiano’s Gigi’s Butter Cake is a famous dessert that lots of people enjoy making at home. The cake is known for its rich, buttery taste and its moist, soft texture. If you like decadent desserts, you’ll love this one.

How to Make Maggiano’s Gigi’s Butter Cake

Ingredients

For glaze

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup water

For cake

• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 2 1/4 cups cake flour
• 1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 large eggs
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 325°F (160°C) and grease a 9-inch round cake pan.
2. In a big mixing bowl, mix the softened butter and sugar until it’s light and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, and mix well each time.
3. In a separate bowl, sift the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
4. Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ones, taking turns with buttermilk and vanilla extract. Mix everything together really well.
5. Pour the batter into the greased cake pan and bake for 45-50 minutes or until a toothpick poked into the middle comes out clean.
6. While the cake is baking, make the glaze. In a small saucepan, put together the butter, sugar, water, and vanilla extract. Cook it over medium heat, stirring all the time, until the sugar melts and the mixture gets thick.
7. When the cake is done, take it out of the oven and let it sit in the pan for 5 minutes. Then, put the cake on a wire rack to cool down completely.
8. Once the cake has cooled, pour the glaze over the top, letting it drip down the sides.
9. Cut a slice and enjoy your homemade version of Maggiano’s Gigi’s butter cake!

Tips for making Maggiano’s gigi butter cake

1. Preheat your oven before you start making the cake batter so it’s ready when you need it.
2. When you mix the butter and sugar, keep going until it’s light and fluffy. This adds air to the batter, which helps the cake rise.
3. Add the eggs one at a time to the butter mixture and mix them in just until they’re combined before adding the next one. This makes sure they’re mixed evenly.
4. Grease and flour your cake pan before putting in the batter. This makes it less likely to stick and easier to take out once it’s done.
5. Make sure your butter and eggs are at room temperature before mixing.

Flavorful substitute

1. If you want, you can use cake flour instead of all-purpose flour. But keep in mind, that the cake won’t be as light and fluffy as it is with cake flour.
2. Instead of vanilla extract, try using raspberry, orange, or peppermint extract for different flavors.
3. You can use brown sugar instead of regular sugar to give your cake a touch of molasses taste.

Serving suggestions

Fresh berries: Use sliced strawberries, raspberries, or blueberries. You can arrange them around the edge of the cake or sprinkle them on top to make it colorful and fresh.

Ice cream: Add a scoop of vanilla or caramel ice cream next to the cake. It’s a tasty partner for the cake’s rich and buttery flavor.

Caramel Sauce: Add a rich and indulgent topping to take this cake to the next level.

Trifle: Create a layered dessert by making a trifle. Layer the cake with your favorite fruits, nuts, and whipped cream.

Whipped cream: Put a spoonful of freshly whipped cream on top of the cake. It’s a classic and simple way to add extra flavor and a creamy texture.

Chocolate: If you love chocolate, add chocolate chips or chunks to the cake batter. Bake it as usual for a rich and moist cake with melted chocolate in every bite. For extra deliciousness, top the cake with chocolate ganache or sauce.

Add nuts: Make your cake crunchy and nutty by sprinkling chopped nuts on top of the batter before baking. They’ll get toasty in the oven and add a great flavor and texture to the cake.

Citrus: To give your cake a fresh and tangy flavor, add some citrus zest to the batter. You can use orange or lemon zest or a mix of both. It balances the sweetness and butteriness. You can also make a citrus glaze with fresh juice and powdered sugar to pour over the cake.

Cool look: If you want a cool look, divide the batter between cake pans and give them different flavors or colors to create a marbled effect.