Triple Layer Vanilla Cake

• First preheat your oven to 175°C,
• Grease three 8-inch cake tins and line each one with a circle of parchment paper.
• Add the unsalted butter into the mixer and using a K paddle attachment start creaming the butter. Creaming the butter should take 4-5 minutes.
• When the butter looks lighter in color add in the caster sugar, sunflower oil, and vanilla extract and give it another good mix.
• When your mixture is creamy light and fluffy add in your eggs one at a time making sure the egg is combined between each adding each one.
• Grab yourself another bowl and add in your sifted plain flour, baking powder, and salt, give it a little stir to combine the dry ingredients.
• Now add in half of your bowl of dry ingredients to the cake batter and mix until its combined.
• Add in your whole milk slowly and keep mixing. Your cake batter will look a little curdled at this point but don’t worry it’s supposed to look like this.
• Next, add in the rest of your dry ingredients and mix until it's creamy and smooth.
• Scrape down the sides of your bowl and give another mix just to make sure that your cake batter is fully incorporated.
• Grab your three cake tins and divide the cake batter evenly between them.
• Pop them into the middle of your preheated oven for 20-25.
• To test if your cake is fully cooked just prick it with a skewer or fork. If it comes out clean your cake is ready if there is a small amount of batter on the skewer pop the cake back in the oven for a couple more minutes.
• When your cakes are baked remove them from the oven and let them cool for a few minutes in their tins.
• After a few minutes remove your cakes from the tins and place them on a cooling rack.

For the vanilla buttercream frosting

• In a large bowl add your unsalted butter and using a k paddle attachment (not whisk) cream the butter, this will take a few minutes.
• While the butter is being mixed, sift your icing sugar into a separate bowl.
• Once the butter is completely smooth slowly add in half your icing sugar and mix until combined.
• Add in your salt and vanilla extract and mix again.
• Add in the other half a bowl of icing sugar and mix until completely smooth. You may need to scrape the bowl down a couple of times to make sure that all the ingredients are well combined.

Putting your cake together

• Normally when I bake these cakes, they come out with a flat top but if yours has a slight dome use a large serrated knife (a long bread knife will do) to remove the domes so they have a flat top.
• Place the first cake layer onto a round cake board or cake stand.
• Spread a good amount of buttercream evenly onto the first layer making sure that it has an even thickness all over (if you want to make each layer perfect I would suggest using a pipping bag with a large round nozzle attachment and start from the center of the cake, swirling round the icing working your way to the edge then smooth with a pallet knife)
• Add the second cake layer and do the same again, making sure that the icing is evenly spread, you don’t want a wonky cake, so take your time.
• Add the last cake layer and ice the outside of the cake. Smoothing it with a pallet knife.
• With the remaining icing, pop it into a pipping bag with a star head nozzle attachment and decorate the top edge and bottom edge of the cake by piping small swirls.
• And there it is you have yourself a delicious triple layer vanilla cake.