Basic Birthday Cake (Yellow Cake)

This is the recipe Carrie uses for basic yellow cake (and she makes LOTS of cakes and decorates them like a professional--she has gotten paid for it several times). That being said, you can trust that her cake recipes are good! This cake works well with caramel frosting or chocolate frosting (both of those are also her recipes--I believe they've come from her husband's side of the family, but I'll post them soon). It's a great basic recipe to have on hand!

• 3/4 cup butter, softened
  
• 3 eggs
  
• 2 1/2 cups flour
  
• 2 1/2 tsp baking powder
  
• 1/2 tsp salt
  
• 1 3/4 cup sugar
  
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla
  
• 1 1/4 cups milk
  

1. Grease and flour the usual pan sizes (see below). Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
   
2. Sift flour, baking powder, salt and set aside. Beat butter on medium speed for 30 seconds. Add sugar 1/4 cup at a time, beating on medium until well combined. Beat on medium 2 more minutes. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each (still on medium speed). Add vanilla. Alternately add flour mixture and milk, beating on low speed just until combined.
3. Spread into pans and bake according to sizes:

9x13-inch pan: 25-30 minutes (this will give you a sheet cake)

2 8-inch pans: 30-35 minutes (this will give you a classic 2-layer cake)

2 9-inch pans: 20-25 minutes (again, this is a 2-layer cake)
cupcakes (24): 20 minutes (check a few minutes before)

Cool in pan 10 minutes, then, if a layer cake, invert cake layers onto cooling rack. If a sheet cake, you can just leave it in the pan!