Put the unbroken eggs in a bowl and cover
with hot tap water. Let them stand until the water is lukewarm, drain
and repeat process. (Don't use boiling water - you want the eggs warm
but not cooked). Heat oven to 350F (175C). Grease two 9-inch (23-cm)
round layer cake pans at least 1 1/2 inches (3.75cm) deep. Line the
bottoms of the pans with heavy brown paper and grease the paper.
Heat the large bowl of your mixer under
hot tap water. Dry. Break eggs into bowl. Add sugar and vanilla. Beat at
high speed on the mixer, scraping the sides of the bowl often, until the
mixture stands in stiff peaks (15-30 minutes). Melt butter and cool to
lukewarm. Sprinkle 2 tbsp of the flour over the egg mixture. Fold it in
gently but quickly with a rubber scraper. Repeat until all flour is
added. Sprinkle butter, 1 tsp (15ml) at a time, over batter. Fold gently
but quickly after each addition. Pour batter into prepared pans. Bake
about 40 minutes or until tops spring back when touched lightly in
center. Loosen cakes carefully all around edges and turn out on cake
racks to cool. Peel off paper.
