Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Generously coat a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray, making sure to get the corners and sides. Cut a circle of parchment paper to fit the bottom of the pan perfectly. This little step guarantees your cake will slide out without sticking.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. This ensures everything is evenly distributed before you add the wet ingredients. Take a moment to appreciate how these simple pantry staples are about to transform into something wonderful.

Create a well in the center of your dry ingredients. Add the eggs, milk, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract. Using a wooden spoon or an electric mixer on low speed, blend everything together until the batter becomes smooth and silky. Don’t overmix—just until you no longer see streaks of flour. The batter should look luxuriously thick and pour like honey.

Transfer the batter into your prepared pan, smoothing the top gently with a spatula. Place it in your preheated oven and bake for 45 to 50 minutes. You’ll know it’s ready when a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and the edges just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan.

Let the cake cool in the pan on a wire rack for about five minutes. Run a table knife gently around the edges to loosen any spots that might stick. Carefully invert the cake onto the cooling rack, peel away the parchment, and let it cool completely before frosting.