1-2-3-4 Cake

It's time to ditch your usual cake mix and discover your inner baker with this basic yellow cake formula. This simple recipe will take your confidence in making a cake to new heights from the first time you try it. As the name suggests, the numbers indicate the number of ingredients in the cake. Just remember which amount corresponds to which ingredient, and you can easily memorize this recipe to prepare it at any time convenient for you. The buttery yellow cake turns out to be moist and has a perfectly dense crumb. Think of the 1-2-3-4 cake as a blank canvas; have fun adding layers of buttercream frosting, whipped cream with fruit, or your own favorite frosting. When making this cake, you should remember that the butter really needs to be softened, and the eggs, ideally, at room temperature. Mixing these ingredients in cold form makes them difficult to digest and can lead to a” broken " dough. When baking the cake, be sure to use a light baking dish to prevent browning. If you see that the top of your cake is browned, but the middle is still wet, cover the cake with foil so that it does not darken.
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Brush 2 baking pans (8x8) with baking spray and sprinkle with a thin layer of flour.In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the softened butter on medium speed, gradually adding the sugar, until the mixture is light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Mix the eggs, one at a time, with the butter mixture.In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder. Add the flour mixture to the butter mixture, about one cup at a time, adding milk after each cup; stir until smooth. Add vanilla extract.Spread the batter evenly over 2 8x8-inch square pans and bake for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool for 20 minutes before serving.