Simple Vanilla Sponge Cake
Yes I have many recipes that I’ve created, tried, photographed. They never made it to my blog. The reason why I never posted them was just that I was never totally convinced it was the perfect one. I think I have finally made the perfect Vanilla Sponge Cake. At least in my books I think it turned out perfect. My kids are crazy about a simple vanilla sponge cake and so am I. There’s something comforting about a simple piece of cake that goes perfectly with a cup of your favorite tea. A piece of vanilla cake definitely brings me comfort. I am going to share a few tips that I have learned from all my millions of trails and errors. If you follow the tips I promise you will have that perfect cake. And trust me everyone will ask for the recipe. You don’t have to share if you don’t want to. I know many people that hate sharing recipes but sharing is caring.
Tips to make the perfect cake
Timing is important. As you become more familiar with baking you will be able to time the steps without a timer. But if you are starting out I suggest you use a timer. Everyone always ask how do I get that fine crumb in a cake and how do I get it to rise. The trick to this is to beat your butter and sugar for a few minutes. A minute is not going to work. You will need more like 4 or 5 minutes. This will aerate the batter.
In order to beat without any hassles your butter must be soft, not melted. Soft enough for your beater to work through it. Beat your eggs in, one at a time. You want the eggs well incorporated. I prefer to sift my flour and baking powder and the add it to the butter mixture. This makes the flour lighter and airier. When adding your flour to the mixing bowl add 1/3 at a time and mix just until incorporated. Do not over mix. This is what results in a dense cake I prefer to use warm milk, just slightly warmer than room temperature. This helps speed up the process of emulsification that traps air bubbles and makes your cake rise. Cold milk will make your cake more crumbly. For this recipe I added just a dash of vegetable oil. This does tend to keep the cake moist, tender and fluffy. I use salted butter in my baking. It is cheaper than unsalted and doesn’t make a major difference to baking. I don’t add any more salt to the recipe.
Baking the cake
Ensure your pan is greased well. A piece of baking paper on the base of the pan is fine, as long as the sides are greased. This cake is baked at 180 degrees Celsius or 350 degrees Fahrenheit Always bake your cake in the middle rack. This is where the air circulates well and heat is evenly distributed. There’s no danger of the cakes bottoms or tops from getting too brown too quickly When removing the cake from the pan wait for at least 10 minutes. If you remove the cake too soon it will crack and you will have a disaster. Trust me on this, I’ve done it. When the cake is removed from the oven and just to be extra safe, gently scrape the sides of the cake pan with a slim knife so the cake loosens.
Frequently asked questions?
Can I use buttermilk instead of milk Yes you can but with buttermilk you will have to substitute baking powder with bicarbonate of soda. 1/2 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda is required for every cup of buttermilk Bicarbonate of soda is same as baking soda. What can I use instead of cake wheat flour You can use all purpose flour. However from research I see you will need to add a little cornstarch to get a perfect substitute. Can I substitute butter with margarine Yes absolutely you can. It’s a matter of personal preference. Butter does have a high fat content which gives cakes a better texture. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we did. If you do try it please drop a comment and a star rating. It is always appreciated More recipes to try: Easy Apple Cinnamon Cake Orange Bundt Cake Chocolate Banana Bread If you loved this, please share!
