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For cake, preheat oven to 325 °F and grease and flour 3 9-inch round cake pans.
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Beat butter in a mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or with electric beaters until light and fluffy. Add sugar and again beat until fluffy. Beat in vanilla and add eggs, one at a time, blending well after each addition.
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In a separate bowl, sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Add flour, ½ cup at a time, mixing on a lower speed and alternating with buttermilk until all has been added and batter is smooth.
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Scrape batter evenly between the 3 prepared pans (I use a measuring cup to dole out the batter equally) and level with a spatula. Give the cake pans a gentle tap on the counter to loosen up any trapped air bubbles.
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Bake on center rack of the oven for 30 to 40 minutes, rotating pans halfway through cooking, until a center inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
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Cool cakes for 20 minutes, then turn out on a rack to cool completely.