Prep Ingredients + Pans

1. Grease two 8 or 9-inch cake pans (round or square). I like to line the bottoms of mine with parchment paper and then spray the parchment with avocado oil cooking spray.
2. Preheat the oven to 350° F. 
3. Separate the egg yolks from the whites, reserving the whites for the meringue.

Mix Batter

1. Sift all the dry ingredients into a large bowl. Stir or whisk about half of the sugar into the sifted flour mixture.
2. In a large bowl or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment beat the melted butter (or oil) with the egg yolks until frothy. Beat in the milk and vanilla. 
3. Beat in the sifted dry ingredients a little at a time on low speed. Then beat on medium speed for about a minute until the batter is smooth. Set aside (or transfer to a large mixing bowl if working solely with a stand mixer).

Whip Meringue + Fold Into Batter

1. In a large clean bowl with clean mixer paddles or a clean stand mixer bowl with a whisk attachment, beat the egg whites with the second half of the sugar until they reach soft to medium peaks. The whites will become smooth, glossy, and opaque. When the beaters are pulled from the meringue, the peaks of the meringue will curve over and flop down. This typically takes two to three minutes at medium-high speed.
2. Mix one-third of the meringue into the reserved batter with a spatula, combining completely until no streaks remain.
3. Gently fold the remaining meringue into the batter in two or three additions. Do this by scooping a helping of meringue on top of the batter. Then mix by scooping up from the bottom and over the top. Every few strokes, cut through the middle of the batter to the bottom of the bowl, then back up and over again. Turn the bowl as you fold.

Bake + Cool

1. Pour and smooth equal amounts of batter into the greased pans.
2. Bake 25 to 28 minutes, until the tops spring back a little bit when gently pressed, and a toothpick comes out nearly clean.
3. Cool cakes in the pans on a wire rack, if possible, for 10-20 minutes. Remove from pans and cool completely. Remove the cakes from the pans by inverting the pans onto a plate, lifting off the pans, and then placing the cakes upright back on the rack. Cool completely before decorating.

Soak, Enjoy + Store

1. Brush or drizzle simple syrup or liqueurs on the cake layers (optional).
2. Decorated cakes can be stored at room temperature or in the refrigerator (if frosting is perishable, like Italian meringue or cream cheese frosting).
3. Unfrosted cakes can be frozen for several months if wrapped tightly in plastic wrap. Bring chilled or frozen cake layers to room temperature before enjoying (but it's okay to decorate while the cake is still cold, it's actually easier).