Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 170C / 340F (fan off) or 150C / 300F (fan on). Place the rack in the middle. Don’t forget this step like I almost always do.
Prepare cake tins: Grease the bottom (not the sides) of two 20cm cake tins and line with baking paper.
Mix dry ingredients: In a bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.
Beat eggs and sugar: Beat eggs until frothy. Slowly add sugar while mixing, then beat for about 6 minutes until thick, pale, and tripled in size. This part feels like magic.
Add dry ingredients: Add half the dry mix into the egg mixture, mix gently, then repeat with the rest. Don’t overmix. Lumps are fine. I repeat, lumps are fine.
Heat milk and butter: Warm milk and butter until the butter melts and small bubbles appear. Do not boil. Learned that one the hard way.
Combine everything: Add half the warm milk mixture along with oil and vanilla. Mix gently, then add the rest and mix until smooth. Batter will look thin. Don’t panic.
Divide batter: Pour evenly into cake tins and tap lightly to remove air bubbles.
Bake: Bake for 30–32 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.
Cool: Let cakes cool in tins for 10 minutes, then transfer to a rack and cool completely.
Level (optional): Trim tops if needed. Or just eat the scraps like I do.
Frosting: Prepare ermine frosting while cakes cool.
Assemble: Place first cake layer, spread frosting, add second layer, press gently.
Crumb coat: Apply a thin layer of frosting to lock crumbs in place.
Final decoration: Spread remaining frosting and decorate however you like. Or however your patience allows.
