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1
Prepare oven and pans Heat oven to 350F, with racks in middle.
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2
Butter two 8-inch round cake pans, and line bottoms with parchment paper rounds.
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3
Butter paper and dust both pans with flour, tapping out excess.
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4
Combine dry ingredients In a mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt.
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5
Cream butter and sugar In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat butter and 1 1/4 cups sugar until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl as necessary.
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6
Scrape the vanilla seeds into the bowl with a paring knife, reserving pod for another use.
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7
Make batter With mixer on low speed, add dry ingredients in 3 batches, alternating with milk and starting and ending with dry ingredients; scrape down sides of bowl once or twice to ensure proper combining.
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8
Make meringue and fold into batter In the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on low speed until foamy.
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9
Add cream of tartar, and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form.
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10
Gradually add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, beating on medium-high speed until stiff, glossy peaks form.
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11
(Do not overmix the whites; if they appear curdled or broken, the cake will not rise.)
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12
Whisk one-third of the whites into the batter to lighten, then carefully fold in the rest of the whites.
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13
Bake and cool Divide the batter between prepared cake pans (about 4 cups batter each).
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14
Bake until a cake tester inserted in the centers comes out clean and cakes are just beginning to pull away from sides of pans, 30 to 40 minutes.
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15
(Do not overbake.)
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16
Transfer pans to wire racks and cool for 10 minutes.
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17
Run an offset spatula around the edge of each cake, then invert cakes onto racks.
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18
Remove parchment; cool cakes completely.
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19
Refrigerate 1 hour or up to overnight, wrapped well in plastic (or freeze up to 1 month).
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20
Fill Reinvert cakes and trim tops with a serrated knife to make level.
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21
Using a ruler as a guide, insert toothpicks halfway up side of cake, all around.
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22
Slice each cake in half horizontally using toothpicks as your guides.
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23
Place one cake layer on a piece of parchment or a cardboard cake round.
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24
Top with 1/2 cup curd, spreading evenly.
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25
Top with another cake layer; repeat with remaining curd and cake layers, ending with cake.
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26
Let set in refrigerator 2 hours.
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27
Frost Just before serving, frost the top and sides of the cake evenly with Italian meringue.
