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3 3/4 cups cake flour

2 1/2 cups sugar

1 tablespoon plus 2 3/4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 1/2 sticks (10 ounces) unsalted butter, at room temperature

1 1/4 cups plus 1/3 cup buttermilk

5 whole eggs

2 egg yolks

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Preheat the oven to 325°F. Butter three 9-inch round cake pans. Line the bottom of each pan with a round of parchment or waxed paper and butter the paper.

2. Combine the cake flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt in a large mixer bowl. With the mixer on low speed, blend for 30 seconds. Add the butter and 2 cups of the buttermilk. Mix on low speed briefly to blend; then raise the speed to medium and beat until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes.

3. In a smaller bowl, whisk together the whole eggs, egg yolks, vanilla, and the remaining 3/4 cup buttermilk until well blended. Pour one-third of the egg mixture into the cake batter at a time, folding it in completely after each addition. There will be 9 cups of batter; our 3 cups batter into each pan.

4. Bake for 26 to 28 minutes, or until a cake tester or wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

5. Turn the layers out onto wire racks by placing a rack on top of a pan, inverting it, and lifting off the pan. Peel off the paper liners and let cool completely. When the layers have cooled, place a cardboard cake board on top of a layer, invert again, and lift off the rack. To make th elayers easier to handle, wrap them on their boards completely in plastic, so they don’t dry out, and refrigerate them.

Project Vanilla

VANILLA BROWNIES




Darkly chocolate, richly vanilla

saucepan brownies;

moist and fudgy in the center,

chewy on the edges



Hands-on time: 20 minutes

Oven time: 30 – 40 minutes

Make 16 bars





• 1 cup sugar


• 5 inch length of vanilla bean




• 1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter


• 3-1/2 - 4 ounces bittersweet or unsweetened chocolate, in pieces


• 1 tablespoon vanilla


• 2 eggs


• 1/2 teaspoon table salt


• 1 cup flour


• 1 cup chopped walnuts, preferably toasted (optional)




• Powdered sugar






Preheat the oven to 350F.




In a food processor, whiz the sugar and vanilla bean for several minutes until the vanilla is in tiny flecks.




Meanwhile, melt the butter over low heat in a large saucepan. Add the chocolate and stir until melted. Whisk in the vanilla and eggs, then the sugar mixture, salt, flour and nuts.




Transfer the batter to a well-greased 8x8 cake pan and smooth the surface. Bake for 30 – 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool and cut into 16 squares. If desired, sprinkle with powdered sugar.

Icing:

Vanilla Buttercream, recipe follows

Line 2 (1/2 cup-12 capacity) muffin tins with cupcake papers.

In a small bowl, combine the flours. Set aside.

In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter until smooth. Add the sugar gradually and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the dry ingredients in 3 parts, alternating with the milk and vanilla. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated but do not over beat. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl to make sure the ingredients are well blended. Carefully spoon the batter into the cupcake liners, filling them about 3/4 full. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted into the center of the cupcake comes out clean.

Cool the cupcakes in tins for 15 minutes. Remove from the tins and cool completely on a wire rack before icing.