Quick Cake

This early "dump cake" method works because vigorous beating for a full three minutes creates enough gluten development and air incorporation despite the unconventional mixing order. The soft butter and liquid ingredients emulsify during beating, while the baking powder provides chemical leavening to compensate for minimal creaming. The brown sugar's moisture and acidity help tenderize the crumb, and adding everything simultaneously prevents overmixing that would occur with traditional creaming methods.