yellow cake with buttercream frosting

 A lucky week off of school brings an inevitable boredom. Though I'm occupying my time with Gossip Girl, homework, and devouring Emma, baking always cures any dull moments. And since my mother just returned from Paris {along with presents. Sound familiar? Eloise and her mother perhaps?} a cake seemed like a perfect way to welcome her home. A classic yellow cake with Parisienne-inspired pink frosting sufficed. 
Martha's Yellow Cake Recipe-

• Ingredients
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature, plus more for pans
• 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for pans
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups sugar
• 4 large eggs
• 1 1/4 cups buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 
  

Directions

Arrange two racks in the center of oven, and heat oven to 350 degrees. Line the bottoms of two 8-by-2-inch buttered cake pans with buttered parchment paper. Dust the bottoms and sides of pans with flour, and tap out any excess. Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; set aside.

In the bowl of a standing mixer, cream butter at medium speed until softened, 1 to 2 minutes. Gradually add sugar, and continue until lightened, 3 to 4 minutes, scraping down sides once or twice. Gradually add eggs, beating after each addition until batter is no longer slick, stopping once or twice to scrape down the sides, about 5 minutes.

Slowly add the flour mixture on low speed, alternating with buttermilk, a little of each at a time, beginning and ending with the flour mixture. Beat in vanilla.

Divide batter evenly between prepared pans. Bake for 25 minutes; rotate the pans in the oven if needed for even browning. Continue baking until a cake tester inserted into the center of each cake comes out clean, 10 to 20 minutes more. Transfer to wire racks to cool, 15 minutes. Remove cakes from pans; set cakes, top side down, on wire racks, and allow to cool completely, about 1 hour.

Martha's Basic Buttercream recipe-
Ingredients

• 12 ounces (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 1 pound confectioners' sugar, sifted
• 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 
  
• Directions
• Beat butter with a mixer on medium-high speed until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes.
• Reduce speed to medium. Add sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, beating after each addition, about 5 minutes. (After every 2 additions, increase speed to high, and beat for 10 seconds, then reduce speed to medium-high). Add vanilla, and beat until buttercream is smooth. Use immediately, or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days. (Bring to room temperature, and beat on low speed until smooth before using.)

xoxo,
almost eloise