for the cake you will need: (cake recipe by ina garten)
3/4 pound (3 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for greasing the pans
2 cups sugar
5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 1/2 teaspoons pure almond extract
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting the pans
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup milk

preheat the oven to 350 degrees f. grease 2 (9-inch) round cake pans, then line them parchment paper. grease them again and dust lightly with flour.

in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar on medium-high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and fluffy. crack the eggs into a small bowl. with the mixer on medium speed, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping down the bowl once during mixing. add the vanilla and almond extracts and mix well. the mixture might look curdled; don’t be concerned.

in a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. with the mixer on low speed, alternately add the dry ingredients and the milk to the batter in 3 parts, beginning and ending with dry ingredients. mix until just combined.

pour the batter evenly into the 2 pans and smooth the top with a knife. bake in the center of the oven for 45 to 55 minutes, until the tops are browned and a cake tester comes out clean. cool on a baking rack for 30 minutes, then turn the cakes out onto a baking rack to finish cooling.

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