Preheat and Prepare: First, preheat your oven to 170°C (150°C fan). Grease and line a 20cm (8-inch) round cake tin with baking parchment.

Cream Butter and Sugar: In a large mixing bowl, using an electric hand mixer or a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, beat the softened butter and caster sugar together on a medium-high speed for a full 5-7 minutes. The mixture should become very pale, light, and fluffy. Don't cut this step short!

Add Eggs and Vanilla: Lightly whisk the eggs in a separate jug. With the mixer on a lower speed, add the eggs to the butter mixture a little at a time, beating well after each addition to ensure they are fully incorporated. If the mixture looks like it might be splitting, add a tablespoon of your flour. Once the eggs are in, mix in the vanilla extract.

Combine Dry Ingredients: In a separate bowl, sift the plain flour, baking powder, and salt together. This aerates the flour and ensures the leavening agent is evenly distributed.

Alternate Wet and Dry: Add one-third of the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix on a low speed until just combined. Pour in half of the milk and mix again. Repeat with another third of the flour, the rest of the milk, and finally, the last of the flour. What works best for me is to mix only until the last streaks of flour disappear to avoid overworking the gluten.

Bake the Cake: Scrape the batter into your prepared tin and smooth the top with a spatula. Bake in the centre of the preheated oven for 40-45 minutes. The cake is done when it’s golden brown, has pulled away from the sides of the tin slightly, and a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Cool Down: Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes before carefully turning it out onto a wire rack to cool completely. This prevents it from breaking while it's still delicate.