The Best Vanilla Cake

• 1 1/2 cups cake or pastry flour
• 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
• 2 cups sugar 
• 4 eggs, at room temperature
• 1 cup evaporated milk, undiluted.
• 4 tsp vanilla extract

Baking Directions

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Sift together both flours, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
3. For this recipe it is very important to be sure to sift the flour very well before measuring. Flour that is too compacted can cause a denser, heavier cake. If you do not have a flour sifter, put some flour in a bowl and whisk it for a minute before spooning the flour into the measuring cup to measure. Do this for both types of flour in the recipe.
4. Cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy.
5. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after every addition.
6. Beat in the vanilla extract.
7. Gently fold in the dry ingredients in three equal portions, alternately with the evaporated milk. When adding dry and wet ingredients alternately in any baking recipe, always begin and end with the dry ingredients.
8. Pour batter evenly into 2 well greased and floured 9 inch cake pans.
9. Bake in a 325 degree F oven for about 35-40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Watch it carefully, you will not want to over bake this cake, as soon as the toothpick comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven and let it rest in the pans for 5 minutes before turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely.