I know you'll find many fancy recipes of mine on here but I know that some of you may prefer an easy recipe to start your adventures into baking.
This is a very basic but still delicious sponge cake. You can add your own flavours to it, ...make it lemon or orange with the addition of the zest. Make it chocolate or coffee with a little cocoa or coffee. You can also make around 12/16 fairy cakes with the same mixture.
* For the gluten intolerant
This also works well using gluten-free self raising flour...Asda stock a really good one. I've also made it using rice flour with the suitable gluten-free baking powder.
* For the gluten intolerant
This also works well using gluten-free self raising flour...Asda stock a really good one. I've also made it using rice flour with the suitable gluten-free baking powder.
Once you've mastered the basic cake the world's your oyster
Advice :-
Buy yourself a good set of kitchen scales....manual or digital. It's far more reliable than the cup system but if you prefer to measure click onto this link Easy Conversion Chart
Buy yourself a good set of heavy duty sandwich tins.....they'll last you a life time. Mine are 7½" / 20 cm round or thereabouts.
This mix will make around 12/16 cupcakes if you prefer to make smaller cakes.
Grease your tins and line the bottom with a ring of baking parchment
Always let your eggs and other ingredients come to room temperature....makes for a much lighter cake
Check your oven...use an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is reading true
Flour....do not use old self raising flour...it loses it's rising power and buy a decent cake flour. I use Homepride, I can't recommend it highly enough
Make sure that you use fresh Baking Powder not something that's been lurking in the cupboard for months...it loses it's raising capabilities when stale.
Make sure that you use fresh Baking Powder not something that's been lurking in the cupboard for months...it loses it's raising capabilities when stale.
Don't think that a mixer is necessary....a wooden spoon and some elbow grease will do nicely.
Ok..... for a regular two layers you will require 6oz/ 175 gms of the main ingredients below
Softened Butter or Baking Margarine ( I always use Stork)
Sifted Self Raising Flour * see above
1 level tsp of baking powder
Caster....superfine sugar +
3 Large eggs...... beaten (must be room temp)
1 tsp vanilla extract ( leave out if you are using any other flavourings)
maybe a little milk to bring to a dropping consistency but do not add until you test the batter
I filled mine with Raspberry Jam & Piped whipped double cream
Method
Add everything except the milk to your mixing bowl
Mix everything together with a hand mixer or by hand until well combined. Do not over beat
This mix should be of a dropping consistency. By this I mean that it should drop off your wooden spoon quite easily. Just add little milk if the batter is really thick.
Divide the batter equally between the two prepared tins & level it out. Tap the tins lightly on your work surface, this will remove any large air bubbles
Bake in the centre of the oven at 180c/ 350f /gas mark 4 until well risen, golden and springy to the touch
remove from the oven.... leave for a few minutes....take out of the tin....revert them onto a wire rack so that the top of the cake is facing the ceiling.
Leave to cool completely.....remove the parchment paper.
Fill as required
Just dust with Caster or Icing sugar or decorate as you want
Plum jam & almond
For my almond version.....add 1½tsp almond extract to the batter
and ½tsp almond extract and ½tsp vanilla extract to a butter cream filling
I filled mine with homemade plum jam and sprinkled over some toasted almond flakes to finish
