1-First step: Prepare the pans and dry ingredients Start by whisking together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl. This helps spread the baking powder evenly through the batter, which matters for a good rise. Set the bowl aside and make sure your pans are ready before you move to the eggs. Once the egg mixture is whipped, the batter comes together quickly, so you do not want to stop halfway through to search for anything.

2-Second step: Whip the eggs and sugar Place the 4 room-temperature eggs in a large mixing bowl and beat them for 30 seconds. Then add the 1 1/2 cups caster or superfine sugar over about 45 seconds while continuing to beat. Keep mixing for a full 7 minutes until the mixture is thick, pale, and tripled in volume. This is one of the most important parts of the recipe because the air you build here gives the cake its light texture.

3-Third step: Heat the milk, butter, and oil In a small saucepan, heat the 1 cup full-fat milk with the 115 grams unsalted butter until the butter melts and the mixture is hot. Stir in the 3 teaspoons vegetable or canola oil and keep the mixture warm. It should be hot when it is added to the batter, but not boiling over. This warm liquid helps create a smoother, softer cake crumb.

4-Fourth step: Fold in the flour mixture Gently add the dry ingredients to the whipped egg mixture in three parts. Use a spatula and fold carefully so you do not knock out too much air. This part is about patience, not speed. If you stir too hard, the cake can lose some of the lift you worked so hard to create in the first step.

5-Fifth step: Temper the batter with the hot milk mixture Take a small scoop of the batter and mix it with the hot milk and butter mixture in a separate bowl. Then pour that mixture back into the main batter and fold it through gently. This technique helps the warm liquid blend smoothly without shocking the whipped eggs. Stir just until the batter looks even and silky.

6-Sixth step: Fill the pans and bake Divide the batter evenly between the two prepared pans. Tap the pans lightly on the counter to knock out any big air bubbles. Bake at 180°C/350°F for about 30 minutes, or until the cakes spring back when touched lightly in the center. The tops should look golden and the kitchen should smell like vanilla and butter.

7-Seventh step: Cool and frost Let the cakes cool in the pans for a short time, then turn them out and cool them upside down on a rack. Cooling upside down helps keep the layers level, which makes frosting much easier later. Wait until the cakes are fully cool before spreading on the vanilla buttercream. If the cakes are even a little warm, the frosting may slide.

8-Quick vanilla buttercream method: Beat the 225 grams unsalted butter until smooth, then add the 500 grams sifted soft icing sugar little by little. Mix in the 3 teaspoons vanilla extract and add 2 to 4 tablespoons milk as needed until the frosting is soft enough to spread. Use more milk for a looser texture or less for a firmer finish.