1-First, preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F) or 160°C fan and grease two 8-inch cake pans with parchment paper to avoid sticking. This preparation ensures your cake releases easily and bakes evenly.

2-Next, whisk the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl, setting it aside for later. Then, beat the eggs on medium speed for 30 seconds before adding the sugar gradually over 45 seconds, and continue on high speed for 7 minutes until the mixture turns pale and triples in volume. While that’s happening, melt the butter in the milk on the stove or microwave, keeping it hot but not boiling to help with rising and moisture.

3-Now, add the dry ingredients to the egg mixture in three batches, mixing briefly on low speed just until combined. Pour the hot milk-butter mixture into a bowl and whisk in about 1 1/2 cups of the egg batter to temper it, then slowly mix it back into the main batter for 15-20 seconds, scraping the bowl as needed. Divide the batter between the pans, tap them three times on the counter to remove air bubbles, and bake for about 30 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

4-After baking, cool the cakes in the pans for 15 minutes, then transfer them to wire racks to cool completely, ideally upside down for flat layers. Once cooled, frost with vanilla buttercream by beating the softened butter until creamy for about 3 minutes, then add sifted icing sugar in three parts on low speed, followed by high speed for 3 minutes to get it fluffy.

5-Mix in the vanilla extract and milk to reach your desired consistency, and spread it on for a smooth finish.

6-To prepare the vanilla buttercream, beat it until pale and add ingredients gradually to avoid lumps, ensuring it’s ready for decorating. This method keeps the cake moist for days when frosted, combining aeration from whipped eggs with the richness of hot milk and butter.