Ingredients
▢2 cups plain / all purpose flour (cake flour OK too, Note 1)
▢2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder (check it’s still active, Note 2)
▢1/4 tsp cooking salt (kosher salt)
▢4 large eggs (50 – 55g / 2 oz each), at room temp (Note 3)
▢1 1/2 cups caster / superfine sugar (granulated/regular ok too, Note 2)
▢115g / 1/2 cup unsalted butter , cut into 1.5cm / 1/2” cubes (or so)
▢1 cup milk , full fat (Note 5)
▢3 tsp vanilla extract , the best you can afford (Note 6)
▢3 tsp vegetable or canola oil (Note 7)
Vanilla Buttercream
▢225g / 2 sticks unsalted butter , softened
▢500g / 1 lb soft icing sugar / powdered sugar , SIFTED
▢3 tsp vanilla extract
▢2 – 4 tbsp milk , to adjust thickeness
Instructions
Preparation:
Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) for 20 minutes before starting the batter (Note 8). Place shelf in the middle of the oven.
Grease 2 x 20cm / 8” cake pans with butter, then line with parchment / baking paper. (Note 9 more pan sizes) Best to use cake pan without loose base, if you can.
Combine Dry Ingredients:
Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
Beat eggs until aerated:
30 sec beat: Beat eggs for 30 seconds on speed 6 of a Stand Mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or hand beater.
Slowly add sugar: With the beater still going, pour the sugar in over 45 seconds.
Triple volume: Then beat for 7 minutes on speed 8, or until tripled in volume and white.
Finish cake batter:
