Chocolate Cake layers

• Preheat an oven to 350℉ (180℃). Prepare 3 8-inch cake pans with baker's floured spray, or grease and line pans with parchment rounds.
• Mix together dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt) in the bowl of a stand mixer with a paddle (or hand mixer or whisk) until well combined.
• Add in bits of softened butter, mixing until no lumps of butter are visible and the mixture looks crumbly.
• Whisk together eggs, buttermilk, and vanilla. Add to dry ingredients and mix until no dry ingredients are visible. Scrape down the bowl and beat for another 20 seconds.
• Fill the three pans evenly - I find a kitchen scale helpful for this part, and each of mine weighed out to about 550g.
• Bake for 30-35 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow cake layers to cool for 10-15 minutes on a wire cooling rack before removing from pans, and cool completely before frosting. Set in the fridge or freezer to accelerate the cooling process if desired.