• Grease and flour a tube pan. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F
• In a separate bowl whisk the cake flour, salt, and baking powder to combine. Set aside for later.
• Cream the butter with the paddle attachment in your mixer, gradually add the sugar and mix until lightened in color and fluffy 3 to 7 minutes.
• Add the eggs one at a time blending after each until the yellow of the yolk disappears.
• Add the vanilla extract to the cup of whipping cream.
• Add the flour mixture alternately with the whipping cream. Begin and end with the dry ingredients. Add the dry ingredients three times and the milk twice.
• Bake at 325 degrees for 1 hour or until a toothpick comes out clean or with just a few crumbs attached. Baking times can vary and so peek in as it approaches the 1 hour mark. If the top of the cake begins to get too dark, cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil.
• This makes approximately 8 cups of batter.
• Allow to cool in the pan for about 10 minutes before turning out onto serving plate.

For the Buttercream

• Cream the (slightly softened) butter until smooth. Blend in the vanilla.
• Add half of the powdered sugar and most of the milk. Beat at medium speed until the powdered sugar is incorporated.
• Add remaining powdered sugar and milk and mix at medium speed another 3 to 4 minutes scraping the sides of the bowl occasionally. I slow down the mixer to very slow. (#2 on the Kitchenaid) for 1 to 2 minutes. This will help eliminate air pockets in the buttercream. The texture will become very smooth.
• This recipe can be doubled or halved.
• Yields approximately 2 cups of frosting.
• If your buttercream is too thin, add more sugar. If the consistency is too thick, add a bit more milk.