Rich, buttery and lightly sweet, this lower sugar butter cake is made with only 65g of added sugar in the entire cake! It has a tender, close crumb and a full buttery flavour without the intense sweetness of a traditional butter cake.

My original butter cake recipe used 175g of sugar. While it is possible to reduce the sugar directly, sugar affects more than just sweetness, it also contributes to aeration, moisture, browning and structure. For this version, I rebalanced the butter, milk and other ingredients so that the cake remains enjoyable despite using 60% less sugar.

The result is not as sweet or airy as a conventional butter cake. Instead, it has a soft, slightly denser crumb that makes it especially suitable for breakfast or afternoon tea.

Why This Low Sugar Butter Cake Works

  • Only 65g of added sugar. The entire cake is lightly sweet, allowing the butter, milk and vanilla flavours to come through more prominently.
  • A reduced amount of butter. The original recipe contained 22g of butter. Reducing it to 190g helps prevent the cake from becoming overly greasy when substantially less sugar is used.
  • Gradual addition of the eggs. With less sugar available to stabilise the butter mixture, adding the eggs gradually is especially important. This helps the batter remain emulsified and produces a finer, more even crumb.

Tips for a Successful Low Sugar butter Cake

  • Use properly softened butter. The butter should be soft enough to indent when pressed. Butter that is too cold will not aerate properly, while overly warm butter may produce a greasy cake.
  • Use room temperature ingredients. Cold eggs or milk can cause the butter mixture to separate. Allow them to reach room temperature before preparing the batter.
  • Avoid overmixing the flour. Whisk in the final step, which includes the flour, at low speed. Excessive mixing can develop too much gluten and make the cake tough.

If you generally enjoy Asian-style, less sweet desserts, this cake comes with a great balance! For a sweeter but still significantly reduced-sugar version, you can increase the sugar up to 90g without changing the other ingredients.

Without further ado, the recipe!

Low Sugar Butter cake Recipe
by Javier Tan August-08-2026

Make a soft and buttery low sugar butter cake using only 65g of added sugar. This easy recipe is lightly sweet, moist and perfect for tea.

Ingredients 

  • 3/4 Cup + 1 Tbsp + 1 Tsp or 190g Butter, softened at room temp
  • 1/3 Cup or 65g of Granulated White Sugar
  • 3 Large Eggs, approx 55g, weighed inclusive of shell
  • 1 Tsp or 5ml of Vanilla Essence
  • 1/3 Cup or 80g of Milk, room temp
  • (Optional) Orange or Lemon Zest
  • 1 and 1/2 Cups or 190g of Plain Flour, sifted
  • 1 Tsp or 4g of Baking Powder, sifted

Instructions

  1. In a large bowl, beat the butter for 2 minutes at low speed. Then, cream together with the sugar for another 2 minutes.
  2. Next, whisk in the eggs one at a time until combined.
  3. Add in the remaining ingredients (vanilla, milk, plain flour, baking powder) and whisk at low speed until combined. Do not overmix.
  4. Transfer the batter to a 7 inch round tray and bake 170C in a pre-heated oven for 45 – 48 minutes until nicely golden brown.
  5. Slice when cooled.
  6. Serve and enjoy!

Details

  • Prep time: 30 mins
  • Cook time: 40 mins
  • Total time: 1 hour 10 mins
  • Yield: Makes 1 Low Sugar Butter Cake

Notes:

  1. If you would like to be updated for more recipes which I strive to create to perfection for sharing and for free, do check out my Instagram, Facebook Page, or YouTube 🙂 Thank you so much for all of your support! Feel free to tag me or link back here!
  2. Store well at room temp in an airtight, covered container for up to 5 days.
  3. Please do not copy and paste the recipe without my permission, but feel free to link back here!

Enjoy!
– Bakeomaniac, Javier Tan