MAKES TWO 8-INCH/20.5 CM ROUND LAYERS
This is the cake that became the foundation of my pastry shop, Gesine Confectionary. There’s nothing this little cake couldn’t do. It starred as the layers in most of the specialty cakes that left the shop and it was the base of my world-famous (or, at least, Vermont famous) Golden Eggs. This cake is moist and delicious and complements just about any filling and frosting you can throw at it. Ask anyone in Vermont. They’ll agree.
Unsalted butter or baker’s nonstick spray for pans
3 cups/360 g all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup/2 sticks/226 g unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups/396 g granulated sugar
5 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
1¼ cups/295 ml whole-fat buttermilk
Preheat the oven to 350°F/180°C for conventional or 325°F/170°C convection. Butter or spray the bottom of two 8-inch/20.5 cm round cake pans and line with parchment. Attach soaked DIY cake strips to the outer sides of the pans (see here). Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt for 30 seconds. Set aside.
Place the butter and sugar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on high speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the bottom and sides of the bowl and make sure to scrape down the paddle as well. Mix again for about 30 seconds.
Add the eggs, one at a time, mixing well between each addition and scraping down the bottom and sides of the bowl every few eggs. Add the vanilla bean paste and mix just to combine.
With the mixer running on low speed, add a third of the flour, then half of the buttermilk, then a third of the flour and the remaining buttermilk, finishing with the remaining flour. Mix until just combined. Don’t overmix. Take the bowl from the mixing stand and, using a large rubber spatula, scrape the bottom and sides of the bowl and fold the batter a few times to ensure everything is well incorporated.
Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes, or until the cake just springs back when gently poked.
Variation: For a Butterscotch Cake, replace 1 cup/198 g of the granulated sugar with 1 cup/213 g of dark brown sugar.