Buttermilk Layer Cake

Joy Of Cooking Recipe. From NYTimes.com. Originally published with The Way We Eat; As Easy as . . . By Jennifer Steinhauer, March 19, 2006

• Ready In: 1 hr
• Serves: 10-12
• Yields: 1 cake

Ingredients

• 2 1⁄3 cups cake flour
• 1 1⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1⁄4 teaspoon salt
• 3  large eggs
• 1  teaspoon vanilla
• 6  ounces butter
• 1 1⁄3 cups sugar
• 1  cup buttermilk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9-inch cake pans and set aside. Sift together the cake flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the eggs and vanilla.
2. Using a mixer on medium speed, beat the butter until creamy. Over the course of 3 minutes, beat in the sugar. Over 2 minutes, add the egg mixture. Reduce the speed to low and alternate adding the flour and buttermilk in three parts, scraping the bowl.
3. Divide the batter between the pans and smooth the tops. Bake until light golden brown and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes, then unmold onto a rack to cool completely before frosting. YIELD Serves 10 to 12.