Ingredients

The following ingredients have 24 Servings
  • 2 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour (plus more for the pans)
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
  • 2 sticks (8 oz) unsalted butter (softened, plus more for the pans)
  • 2 cups granulated sugar
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1 cup buttermilk ((either low-fat or full-fat), or 1 cup whole milk mixed with 1 teaspoon lemon juice)
  • 2 teaspoons vanilla extract (or for a truly white cake, seek out clear vanilla extract)

Instruction

  • Preheat the oven to 350°F (176°C). Adjust the oven rack to the middle position. Butter the bottoms and sides of two 9-by-2-inch (23-by-5-cm) round cake pans and coat them evenly with flour, tapping out the excess.


  • In a large bowl or on a large piece of parchment paper, sift the flour, baking soda, and baking powder together with a sifter or with a fine strainer by gently tapping your hand against the edge. Add the salt (you can just leave it on top of the flour pile because it will get mixed in later). Set aside for the moment.
  • Using a stand mixer or a handheld mixer, beat the butter and sugar together, first on low speed and then gradually increasing the speed to medium until the mixture is smooth. Scrape down the side of the bowl with a rubber spatula and then mix in the eggs, 1 at a time, just until combined.
  • In a glass measuring cup, combine the buttermilk or milk and lemon juice mixture with the vanilla. With the mixer on medium-low speed, add half of the milk mixture to the butter mixture. Mix until incorporated, and then scrape down the side of the bowl. Mix in half of the sifted ingredients and then scrape down the side of the bowl. Add the remaining milk mixture and sifted ingredients in the same manner.
  • Divide the batter between the pans and smooth the top with the spatula. Bake the cakes until a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean or the cake has slightly pulled away from the side of the pan, 20 to 30 minutes or so. (If you leave the cakes in the oven longer than 20 minutes, you may need to cover them loosely with foil to prevent overbrowning. And if you put the cake pans on different racks in the oven, switch the pans halfway through baking so they’ll bake evenly.)
  • Let the cakes cool in their pans on a wire rack. Unmold them by running a small knife around the edge of the pans and then placing a plate on top of each cake and inverting the pan and plate. Remove the pans and let the cakes cool completely before frosting. (The wrapped cake layers keep at room temperature for a few days or in the freezer for up to a couple of months.) Originally published February 20, 2012.