Grandma Helen made this cake for all events when I was growing up. It’s a standard butter cake. She added melted chocolate (and a touch of cinnamon) to make a chocolate cake, and divided the batter in half, adding chocolate to half, to make a marble cake. -Joan
½ cup butter, room temperature
2 c sugar
4 eggs, room temperature
3 c flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 c milk, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
Preheat oven to 350˚
Butter two 9” round cake pans or one 9” x 13” pan.
Combine flour and baking powder.
Combine milk and vanilla.
Set both aside.
Cream butter and sugar until light.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating after each (the batter will look a little curdled, but it’s okay).
Add flour and milk mixtures, starting and ending with flour mixture. Beat lightly after each addition.
Pour into pans and bake at 350˚ for 45 minutes, then at 375˚ for 15 minutes, or until a pick comes out cleanly and the cake pulls away from the sides of the pan(s).