Birthday Cake

Cake

• 3 cup flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 4 piece egg — large, at room temperature
• 1 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup unsalted butter — cut into small cubes
• 1 cup milk — full-fat
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3 tsp vegetable oil

Icing

• 5 tbsp flour
• 1 cup milk — full-fat, cold
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup unsalted butter — soft but not melted
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Cake

1. 1

   Heat the oven to 180°C. Grease two 20 cm cake pans with butter and line with baking paper.

   180°C
2. 2

   Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
3. 3

   Beat the eggs with the mixer for 30 seconds. With the mixer running, slowly add the sugar over 45 seconds. Keep beating until pale and thick.
4. 4

   While the eggs beat, heat the butter and milk in a pot until the butter melts.
5. 5

   Add one third of the flour mix to the eggs and mix. Add half of what is left and mix. Add the rest and stop as soon as no flour shows.
6. 6

   Pour the hot milk and butter, the vanilla, and the oil into the empty flour bowl. Add about 1 1/2 cups of the egg batter and mix until smooth.
7. 7

   With the mixer running, pour that milk mixture into the egg batter over 15 seconds, then stop. Scrape the bowl and mix until smooth and pourable.
8. 8

   Divide the batter between the two pans. Bang each pan on the counter three times. Bake 30 minutes until golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

   Timer 30 min
9. 9

   Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then turn out onto racks. Frost only when completely cool.

Icing

1. 10

   Put the flour and cold milk in a small pot. Stir until smooth, no lumps.
2. 11

   Add the sugar and salt.
3. 12

   Cook on medium heat. Stir all the time. After about 5 minutes it becomes thick, like pudding. Turn off the heat.

   Timer 5 min
4. 13

   Put the pudding in a bowl. Press plastic wrap on top of the pudding so no skin forms.
5. 14

   Put the bowl in the fridge for 1 hour or more. The pudding must be cold, not warm. If it is warm, the butter will melt.

   Timer 1 h
6. 15

   Take the butter out of the fridge 20 minutes before you need it. It should be soft but still hold its shape.

   Timer 20 min
7. 16

   Beat the butter with the mixer for 3 minutes until it is pale and fluffy.

   Timer 3 min
8. 17

   Add the cold pudding, one spoon at a time, with the mixer running. Then beat 3 more minutes.

   Timer 3 min
9. 18

   If it looks lumpy or separated, keep beating. It will become smooth.
10. 19

    Add the vanilla. Beat on the lowest speed for 1 minute.

    Timer 1 min

Assemble

1. 20

   Put one cake on a plate and spread icing on top. Set the second cake on top of it. Spread a thin layer of icing over the top and sides. Keep the cake in the fridge until it is time to eat.