Basic Buttermilk Cake

¾ cup (1½ sticks) butter, softened
1½ cups sugar
3 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup buttermilk, at room temperature
1½ tsp vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter the cake pans and line bottoms with parchment or waxed paper; butter the paper. (if you’re making cupcakes, fill cups with paper liners or butter them.)

Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl for 5 minutes at medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs, one at a time. Scrape the bowl and beaters and beat well to incorporate.

Sift the flour with the baking powder and baking soda. Add a quarter of the flour mixture to the butter-egg mixture, then add vanilla and a third of the buttermilk. Repeat, beginning and ending with the flour mixture and scraping well after each addition.

Pour the batter into the prepared pans. Bke 25 to 30 minutes (15-20 minutes for cupcakes), or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pans on a rack for 5 minutes. Turn pans onto the rack; remove parchment or wax paper and cool completely before frosting.