Preheat oven to 350.
Have all ingredients about 75F.
Sift before measuring
2 2/3 cups flour
Resift with
2 1/4 tsp. double acting baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Sift: 2 cups sugar
Cream until soft: 1 cup butter
Add sugar gradually. Cream ingredients until very light. Beat in, one at a time: 4 egg yolks.
Add: 1 tsp. vanilla and 1/2 tsp. almond extract
Add flour mixture to butter mixture in about 3 parts, alternating with halves of one cup of milk. Take no longer than 2 minutes; add flour mixture last.
Stir batter until smooth after each addition.
Whip until stiff, but not dry: 4 egg whites.
Fold egg whites lightly into the batter. Bake in greased (my Mom always greased and floured) layer pans from 30-35 minutes.
(I use two, greased 9" round pans; the recipe actually calls for three.)