Hi Louise! Butavan (a brand name) is a flavoring that can be hard to find. It’s a buttery, vanilla-y flavor used by commercial bakers to add a rich, butterscotch-like, almost indescribable taste to baked goods and icings. If you can’t find Butavan, you should just substitute pure vanilla extract. But since extract can be stronger, I wouldn’t use too much, no more than 1 teaspoon in a standard baked good recipe. PS: If you’d like to give Butavan a try, you can buy it online at www.earlenescakes-store.com.