3baking sheetsgreased and lined with baking parchment. Use a 20-cm/8-inch diameter plate to draw three circles on the baking parchment. Use a pencil.
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) Gas 4.
Beat together the eggs and sugar on high speed in a stand mixer or using a hand-held electric whisk. Beat until the mixture reaches ribbon stage – you will be able to see the traces of the mixture when you move the whisk – and the traces should stay for a good 6-7 seconds. This can take up to 5-7 minutes – the mixture will almost triple in volume.
Combine the flour, salt and vanilla in a separate bowl. Sift into the egg mixture, bit by bit, carefully folding using a figure-of-eight movement until incorporated. Pour the cooled melted butter down the side of the bowl and fold carefully again, trying not to knock out air. This is really important – if you knock out the air, your layers will not rise.
Divide the mixture evenly between the parchment circles on the baking sheets spreading right to the edges of each circle with the back of a spoon. If they go over a bit, don’t worry, you can cut these bits off afterwards.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 5–7 minutes or until light golden brown
Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before removing the baking parchment. If the parchment sticks, slightly dampen the paper side with cold water and the paper will come off easily. Trim any untidy edges using a sharp knife.
Notes
If you want to secure a rise and feel nervous about the rise, add 1 teaspoon to the flour for a slight lift.