Vanilla Cake

Step 1
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Line the bottoms of two 9-inch cake pans with parchment paper and lightly grease the sides.

Step 2
Beat sugar, butter, and oil together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until creamy and well combined. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla extract.

Step 3
Combine flour, baking powder, and salt together in another bowl. Alternate mixing flour mixture and buttermilk gently into the butter mixture with a spatula, mixing until just combined after each addition; the batter should be smooth and completely combined but avoid overmixing. Divide batter evenly between the prepared pans.

Step 4
Bake in the preheated oven until the surface springs back to the touch and a toothpick inserted into the centers comes out mostly clean with a few moist crumbs but no wet batter, 30 to 35 minutes.