1
large vanilla bean, split or cut into pieces
1 cup milk, room temperature
4 cups flour, sifted
1 T. baking powder
½ t. salt (if using salted butter, delete)
2 cups unsalted butter, softened to room temperature
2½ cups vanilla sugar
6 jumbo eggs, room temperature
1 T. pure vanilla extract
Preheat
oven to 350º. Pour milk into a saucepan, add the vanilla bean
and scald the milk. Let mixture cool to room temperature. Remove
vanilla bean, rinse it off, and set aside. Resift the flour with
the baking powder and the salt onto a sheet of waxed paper; set
aside. In a large bowl, cream the butter with an electric mixer
on moderately high speed until light, about 3 minutes. Add the
vanilla sugar in two portions, beating thoroughly after each
portion is added. Beat in eggs, one at a time, periodically
scraping down the sides of the bowl to ensure an even mixture.
Blend in vanilla extract. On low speed, add the sifted dry
ingredients alternately with the milk, beginning and ending with the
dry ingredients. Pour and scrape the batter into a lightly
buttered, floured 10” tube pan, a large square baking pan or three
loaf pans. Bake the cake on the lowest rack of the oven for about
1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted into the cake emerges clean
and dry. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack completely before
serving.
