Ingredients

Classic vanilla cake:
• 1 stick (8 Tbsp) unsalted butter, at room temperature, plus more for buttering pans
• 2 3/4 cups cake flour, spooned and leveled, plus more for buttering pans
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 1/2 cup vegetable oil
• 5 large eggs, room temperature
• 1 Tbsp pure vanilla extract
• 1 cup whole milk
Buttercream frosting:
• 3 sticks (1 1/2 cups) unsalted butter, room temperature
• Pinch salt
• 3 1/4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 2 tsp pure vanilla extract
• 1/4 cup whole milk
• Food coloring as desired
Decoration:
• 2 bags (20 oz) mini candy eggs

Instructions

Cake:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Butter the bottoms and sides of two 9-inch round cake pans or a mini tiered cakelette pan (I used Cake Boss cakelette pan); dust with flour.
2. Whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl and set aside.
3. Beat the butter, sugar, and oil in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 4-5 minutes. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, and then the vanilla extract until combined.
4. Alternate folding the flour mixture and the milk into the batter with a spatula, adding the flour in three additions and the milk in two, starting and ending with the flour, until just smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans.
5. Bake the cakes on the same oven rack until golden on top and the centers spring back to the touch, 35 to 40 minutes. Let cool in the pans about 10 minutes, then turn out onto cooling racks and let cool completely before frosting.
Frosting:
6. While the cakes cool, beat the butter and salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth.
7. Gradually beat in the confectioners' sugar. Once it's all been added, increase the speed to medium-high, and beat until white and fluffy.
8. Add 2 Tbsp of the milk, and beat to incorporate.
9. Beat in the remaining milk, one tablespoon at a time.
Decoration:
10. Smooth frosting onto the cake with a spatula.
11. Push candy eggs into the frosting in any pattern you like. To achieve an ombre effect, use two of each color and shift each row slightly.