Yields:
- Two 8-inch round cake layers, plus 6 cupcakes (I have made this)
- Two 9-inch round cake layers
- 22 to 24 cupcakes
- Two 8-inch squares
- 9×13 single-layer cake
- 4 cups (512g King Arthur brand) cake flour
- 2 teaspoons (10 grams) baking powder
- 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
- 1 teaspoon (5 grams) table salt
- 2 sticks (225g) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 2 cups (400g) sugar
- 2 teaspoons (10 ml) vanilla extract
- 4 large eggs, room temperature
- 2 cups buttermilk (475 ml), well-shaken, room temperature
Make sure eggs, buttermilk, and butter are at room temperature (leave out for a couple hours).
Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter two 9-inch round cake pans and line with circles of parchment paper, then butter parchment.
Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl.
In a large mixing bowl, beat butter and sugar at medium speed until pale and fluffy (7-8 minutes), then beat in vanilla. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating well and scraping down the bowl after each addition. At low speed, beat in buttermilk until just combined (mixture will look curdled). Add flour mixture in three batches, mixing until each addition is just incorporated.
Spread batter evenly in cake pans (for 8" round pans, put 650g batter in each one - you will have leftover batter for about 6 cupcakes). Rap pans on counter several times to eliminate air bubbles.
Bake until golden and a wooden pick inserted in center of cake comes out clean.
- 9-inch rounds: 35 to 40 minutes
- 8-inch rounds: 30 to 35 minutes
- cupcakes: 16-20 minutes
Cool in pan on a rack 10 minutes, then run a knife around edge of pan if necessary. Invert onto rack and discard parchment, then cool completely (about 1 hour).