6 large eggs, room temperature
1 C sugar
1 t vanilla
1 C flour
6 T butter, melted
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Butter two 8-inch cake pans. Line both pans with circles of waxed paper cut to fit the bottoms. Buter the paper, then flour the pans.
Place eggs, sugar, and vanilla in a large heatproof bowl and mix with a fork or whisk, just to combine. Place this bowl over a deep skillet or conatiner of boiling water on the stove and sitr for about 30 seconds, so the mixture becomes lukewarm.
Removing bowl from the stove. With an electric mixer set to medium, mix for 10 minutes until it has thickened, tripled in bulk, and is a pale yellow color.
Carefully sift 1/3 of the flour on top of the batter. With a rubber spatula, gently fold it in. Repeat this twice. Now fold the butter in, in three parts also. The trick is to completely incorporate the flour and butter without leaving air pockets or overmixing it.
Divide the batter between the two prepared pans and place in the preheated oven. Cook for 22-25 minutes, until golden on top. Remove from the oven and set the cake pans on wire racks. Let cool to room temperature. Run a knife around the edges and unmold the cakes onto wire racks.
Note: This recipe makes two 8-inch cakes, which may be split for a huge 4-layer cake. Or you can split one, make a simple, 2-layer cake and freeze the other layer for later.
Frost with Pineapple Rum Buttercream Icing or Classic French Buttercream Icing.