Rich and Tender Yellow Cake

4 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2-1/4 cups sifted plain cake flour
1-1/2 cups sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened,
each stick cut into 8 pieces


Adjust oven rack to lower-middle position and
heat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease
two 9 by 11/2-inch cake pans with vegetable
shortening and cover pan bottoms with rounds
of parchment paper or wax paper. Grease parchment
rounds, dust cake pans with flour, and tap out excess.
Beat eggs, milk, and vanilla with fork in small bowl;
measure out 1 cup of this mixture and set aside. Combine
flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in bowl of
standing mixer fitted with paddle attachment; mix on
lowest speed to blend, about 30 seconds. With mixer
still running at lowest speed, add butter one piece at
a time; mix until butter and flour begin to clump together
and look sandy and pebbly, with pieces about the size
of peas, 30 to 40 seconds after all butter is added. Add
reserved 1 cup of egg mixture and mix at lowest speed
until incorporated, 5 to 10 seconds. Increase speed to
medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about
1 minute. Add remaining egg mixture (about ? cup)
in slow steady stream, about 30 seconds.

Stop mixer and thoroughly scrape sides and bottom
of bowl. Beat on medium-high until thoroughly combined
and batter looks slightly curdled, about 15 seconds
longer. (To mix using hand mixer, whisk flour, sugar,
baking powder, and salt in large bowl. Add butter pieces
and cut into the flour mixture with a pastry blender.
Add reserved 1 cup of egg mixture; beat with hand
mixer at lowest speed until incorporated, 20 to 30
seconds. Increase speed to high, add remaining egg
mixture, and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute.
Stop mixer and thoroughly scrape sides and bottom
of bowl. Beat at high speed 15 seconds longer.) Divide
batter equally between prepared cake pans; spread
to sides of pan and smooth with rubber spatula. Bake
until cake tops are light golden and skewer inserted
in center comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes.

(Cakes may mound slightly but will level when cooled.)
Cool on rack 10 minutes. Run a knife around pan
perimeter to loosen. Invert cake onto large plate,
peel off parchment, and reinvert onto lightly greased
rack. Cool completely before icing.
Makes two 9-inch cakes.

Hints: Adding the butter pieces to the mixing bowl
one at a time prevents the dry ingredients from flying
up and out of the bowl.

Dawn - Cape Cod, MA

http://www.nancyskitchen.com