Ingredients:
- 1 1/2 cups cake flour, stirred before measuring
- 1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/8 teaspoon baking soda
- 8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 large eggs
- 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
- 1/2 cup buttermilk
- ***Frosting***
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 2 tablespoons flour
- pinch salt
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 4 ounces butter, room temperature
- 2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste or vanilla extract
Preparation:
In a bowl, combine the cake flour, baking powder, salt, and soda. In a mixing bowl, beat butter with sugar until creamy. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in the vanilla bean paste or vanilla.
Slowly beat in about one-third of the flour mixture, alternating with half of the buttermilk, until well blended. Scrape the bowl with a spatula. Repeat with another one-third of the flour mixture and the remaining buttermilk. Slowly beat in the remaining flour mixture.
Spoon batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a toothpick or wooden skewer inserted into the center comes out clean. Cool cake in pan on a rack for 5 minutes. Carefully turn out of the pan to cool completely. Frost or glaze with your favorite icing or use the Old-Fashioned Vanilla Frosting recipe, below.
Frosting:
Whisk milk, flour, and salt together in a saucepan over medium-low heat. Continue cooking, stirring constantly, until the mixture is very thick and bubbly. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature.
Beat sugar and butter together until smooth and creamy. Beat in cooled flour mixture until the mixture is light and fluffy. Beat in the vanilla or vanilla bean paste.
Frosts one layer.
