My first attempt at a cake from scratch

I usually either buy a cake from the bakery or use a mix from the grocery store when a birthday rolls around our house. Well, today I have more time than money so I thought I would try to make one from scratch.

The recipe I used is a plain yellow cake recipe and it turned out good enough that I thought I should share it.

Ingredients
1 cup butter
2 1/2 cups white sugar
3 eggs
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 1/2 cups buttermilk
3 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
2 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Directions

1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour two 9x13 inch pans. Sift together the flour, baking powder and baking soda. Set aside.
2.In a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the vanilla. Beat in the flour mixture alternately with the buttermilk, mixing just until incorporated. Pour batter into prepared pans.
3.Bake in the preheated oven for 35 to 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Allow to cool.