Super Fluffy Sponge Cake Food

MY BEST VANILLA CAKE - STAYS MOIST 4 DAYS!

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan) for 20 minutes before starting the batter (Note 8). Place shelf in the middle of the oven.
• Grease 2 x 20cm / 8" cake pans with butter, then line with parchment / baking paper. (Note 9 more pan sizes) Best to use cake pan without loose base, if you can.
• Whisk flour, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
• Beat eggs for 30 seconds on speed 6 of a Stand Mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, or hand beater.
• With the beater still going, pour the sugar in over 45 seconds.
• Then beat for 7 minutes on speed 8, or until tripled in volume and white.
• Heat Milk-Butter: While egg is beating, place butter and milk in a heatproof jug and microwave 2 minutes on high to melt butter (or use stove). Do not let milk bubble and boil (foam ok). Don't do this ahead and let the milk cool (this affects rise).
• Gently add flour: When the egg is whipped, scatter 1/3 flour across surface, then beat on Speed 1 for 5 seconds. Add half remaining flour, then mix on Speed 1 for 5 sec. Add remaining flour, then mix on Speed 1 for 5 - 10 sec until the flour is just mixed in. Once you can't see flour, stop straight away.
• Lighten hot milk with some Egg Batter: Pour hot milk, vanilla and oil into the now empty flour bowl. Add about 1 1/2 cups (2 ladles or so) of the Egg Batter into the Milk-Butter (don't need to be 100% accurate with amount). Use a whisk to mix until smooth - you can be vigorous here. Will look foamy.
• Slowly add milk: Turn beater back on Speed 1 then pour the Milk mixture into the Egg Batter over 15 seconds, then turn beater off.
• Scrape and final mix: Scrape down sides and base of bowl. Beat on Speed 1 for 10 seconds - batter should now be smooth and pourable.
• Pour batter into pans.
• Knock out bubbles: Bang each cake pan on the counter 3 times to knock out big bubbles (Note 10 for why)
• Bake 30 minutes or until golden and toothpick inserted into centre comes out clean.
• Remove from oven. Cool in cake pans for 15 minutes, then gently turn out onto cooling racks. If using as layer cakes, cool upside down - slight dome will flatten perfectly. Level cake = neat layers.
• Frost with frosting of choice, or cream and fresh berries or jam. See list of ideas in post!
• Beat butter with paddle attachment in stand mixer for 3 minutes on high until it changes from yellow to almost white, and it becomes fluffy and creamy.
• Add icing sugar / powdered sugar gradually in 3 lots, beating slowly (to avoid a powder storm) then once mostly incorporated, beat on high for a full 3 minutes until fluffy.
• Add vanilla and milk, then beat for a further 30 seconds. Use milk only if needed to make it lovely and soft but still holds it's form (eg for piping). Use immediately. (If you make ahead, refrigerate then beat to re-fluff).

FLUFFY SPONGE CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350F/180C (fan forced)
• Cut out a round piece of parchment paper to fit the bottom of your cake tin. Grease the tin lightly with butter, then place the parchment paper round in the bottom of the tin.
• Sift the flour, baking powder and cornstarch/cornflour 7 times.
• In a medium-sized bowl, whisk the egg whites until soft peaks appear.
• Gradually add sugar, beating after each addition.
• Whisk in egg yolks, one at a time.
• Gradually and carefully, fold in the flour. Use a figure 8 method to fold, and make sure you're not over folding.
• Evenly pour the batter into the prepared tins.
• Place tins in the middle rack of the oven, side by side.
• Bake for 20 minutes, or until the sponge cake is started to brown on top.
• To test if it's ready, poke a metal skewer into the middle of the cake, the skewer should come out clean.
• Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes, before turning them out onto a wire rack.
• To turn out the cakes, carefully and gently run a butter knife outside the edge of the cake. Place a cooling rack upside down on the top of the cake tin, and carefully flip. The cake should come out straight away, if not, gently whack the bottom of the cake tin to loosen it.
• To serve - cool cakes completely, then sandwich together with whipped cream, raspberry jam, and/or strawberries. Top with cream, dust with icing sugar or top with chocolate icing.

LIGHT & FLUFFY SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180°C (375°F).
• Grease non stick cake pan
• Beat together eggs, oil and sugar, beat until light & fluffy.
• Add flour, salt & baking powder.
• Mix well with electric beater.
• Pour into baking pan & bake for approx 15-20 minutes.
• PLEASE NOTE: For a chocolate cake add 2 teaspoons of unsweetened cocoa to 120ml warm water & add to mixture, note that chocolate cakes should take another 10 minutes to cook.

FLUFFY SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160 degrees celsius.
• Grease and line a 23 cm cake tin with baking paper and grease again and add some cornflour and caster sugar to coat bottom and sides of tin.
• Whisk egg whites in a clean bowl until fluffy.
• Add caster sugar gradually until dissolved.
• Add egg yolks one by one.
• Fold in sifted flour and baking powder.
• Bake for 35-45 minutes depending on your oven.
• Test after 35 minutes just in case.
• To make filling, simply whip cream with sugar, cut sponge cake in half and fill with cream.
• Place top layer of cake and spread with passionfruit icing.
• To make icing, sift icing sugar and add passionfruit pulp to desired consistency.
• If too runny put in more icing sugar and vice versa.

FLUFFY ORANGE SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Combine cake flour and 1/2 cup of the sifted powdered sugar, set aside.
• In small mixer bowl beat egg yolks with electric mixer on high speed about 6 minutes or till thick and lemon coloured.
• Gradually add remaining powdered sugar, beating constantly about 4 minutes.
• Stir in orange peel.
• Wash beaters thoroughly.
• In large mixer bowl beat egg whites, vanilla, and cream of tartar till soft peaks form.
• Gently fold yolk mixture into whites.
• Sift flour mixture over egg mixture, 1/3 at a time and fold in gently.
• Turn into ungreased 9 inch tube pan.
• Bake in 325 degree oven about 55 minutes or till cake springs baack when lightly touched.
• Invert cake in pan, cool thoroughly.
• Remove from pan.
• With a long tined fork, poke holes in top of cake at 1 inch intervals.
• For syrup, in a saucepan combine orange juice and honey.
• Simmer 5 minutes.
• Remove from heat, stir in almond extract.
• Spoon syrup evenly over cake, a small amount at a time, allowing cake to absorb syrup.
• Chill, if desired.

SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4, butter and line the base of two 20cm spring-form cake tins with baking parchment.
• Using an electric whisk beat the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy. Crack the eggs in one at a time and whisk well, scraping down the sides of the bowl after each addition. Add the lemon zest, vanilla, flour, milk and a pinch of salt. Whisk until just combined then divide the mixture between the two tins.
• Bake in the centre of the oven for 25-30 mins until a skewer inserted into the middle of each cake comes out clean. After 10 mins remove the cakes from their tins and leave to cool completely on a wire rack. Fill how you like. My personal favourite is a good dollop of lemon curd and some fresh cream, then dust the top with icing sugar. Will keep for 3 days.

EASY VANILLA CAKE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Grease a round, deep 20cm tin, then line the base and sides with non-stick baking paper.
• Using electric beaters or a tabletop mixer, beat the butter, sugar, vanilla and ¼ tsp salt together until pale and fluffy, then pour in the eggs, one at a time, giving the mix a really good beating before adding the next.
• Add 1 tbsp of the plain flour if the mix starts to look slimy rather than fluffy. Beat in the yogurt. Mix the flours; then, using a large metal spoon, fold them into the batter, followed by the milk.
• Spoon the mix into the tin and bake for 1 hr 20 mins or until well risen and golden - a skewer inserted into the middle should come out clean.
• Meanwhile, make the syrup by gently heating 50ml water with the sugar and vanilla in a pan until the sugar dissolves. Set aside. Once the cake is out of the oven, leave to cool for 30 mins in the tin, then use a skewer to poke holes all over the cake, going right to the bottom. Pour the syrup over, letting it completely soak in after each addition.
• Leave to cool completely, then either wrap the cake well or fill and ice it. If you wrap it with baking parchment and cling film, the unfilled cake will keep well for up to 3 days, or in the freezer for up to a month.
• For ideas on how to decorate the cake and to try out some variations on this basic cake mixture, have a look at the 'Goes well with' recipes for Simple elegance wedding cake, Birthday bug cake and Summer celebration cake.