Easy Buttermilk Cake

3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs, room temperature
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 cup buttermilk, room temperature
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray cake pans with non-stick spray and line the bottoms with parchment paper or wax paper. Spray the paper with non-stick spray. If you are making cupcakes, use liners and spray the inside of the liners. Beat butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer for 5 minutes at medium speed. They will be light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at a time. Sift flour, baking powder and baking soda together. Add 1/4 of the flour mix to the butter-egg mix, add vanilla and 1/3 of the buttermilk. Continue adding 1/4 of the flour and 1/3 of the butter milk until all has been added, ending with the last of the flour. Mix well after each addition. Pour into pans. Bake 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in the pans on a rack for 5 minutes. Remove from the pans and remove paper. Cool completely before frosting.

Changes - Add a different flavoring such as lemon, almond, coconut, etc. This cake comes out with a very strong butter taste and is great for any icing. I've made this in a tube pan by reducing the oven temperature to 325 degrees and cooking 55-60 minutes. If the top starts to brown too quickly before the inside of the cake is done lay a sheet of foil over the top of the cake.