Easy Vanilla Sponge Cake
Easy Vanilla Sponge Cake is a recipe staple every baker needs. Adapt it with fillings to suit your latest whim safe in the knowledge that the base cake is as light and fluffy as any quality sponge cake should be.
Servings: 6 People
Calories: 500kcal
Ingredients
THIS RECIPE REQUIRES 2 X 6-INCH CAKE TINS
For the Easy Vanilla Sponge Cake
- 120g / 1/2 cup/ 4 1/4 oz Unsalted Butter - softened
- 120g / 5/8 cup/ 4 1/4 oz Caster sugar
- 2 Eggs - large, free range
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp Whole (full fat) milk
- 120g / 1 cup/ 4 1/4 oz Plain (all purpose) flour
- 1 tsp Baking powder
Filling
- 2-3 tbsp Strawberry & rhubarb jam
- 250 ml/ 1 cup Double (heavy) cream
- 2 tbsp Icing (confectioner) sugar
- 1 tsp Vanilla extract
- 1-2 tbsp Crystalised ginger (chopped small)
Instructions
Make the cake
- Preheat the oven to 180C/ 350F/ GM4 and grease & line 2 x 6-inch cake tins
- Using electric beaters, cream the butter and sugar together until light & fluffy
- Separate the egg white and yolks. Put the whites aside. Add the yolks to the creamed ingredients along with the vanilla extract and milk. Beat until just combined
- Sift the flour and baking powder into the bowl and gently stir in, using a large metal spoon until thoroughly combined. Take care not to overwork the batter though
- Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks. Take a spoonful and mix it into the cake batter to loosen it, then fold the rest in. Continue to mix until just combined and no obvious patches of egg white are visible
- Divide the batter between the cake tins and bake for approx 20 minutes until well risen and golden. A cocktail stick poked into the centre of the cake should come out clean
- Remove from the oven when sufficiently baked. Let cool in the tin for 2 minutes, before unmolding. Remove the parchment and allow the cakes to cool completely on a wire rack
Filling the cake
- Put the cream into a medium mixing bowl with the vanilla extract and sieve the icing sugar in. Whip until the cream holds it's shaped nicely
- Place 1 layer of cake on a plate/ stand and spread with 2 tbsp jam
- Top with 2/3 of the cream - either pipe it on or smooth it out with a knife
- Scatter 2/3 of the ginger over the cream and place the second layer of sponge on top
- Spread a thin layer of cream across the top and pipe the rest of the cream around the edge of the cake (I used a Wilton 8b nozzle) and fill the centre with the remaining jam
- Garnish with the remaining pieces of ginger
- Best served immediately but this cake can be covered and stored in the fridge for up to 2 days (let sit at room temperature for 1 hour prior to serving)
Notes
The ingredients listed in the main recipe are sufficient to fill 2 x 6-inch cake tins. The recipe works on the following basis:
per egg add the following:
- 60g butter/ sugar / flour
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1 tbsp milk
- 6-inch tins (2 eggs + 120g butter/ sugar/ flour + 1 tsp extract + 1 tsp baking powder + 2 tbsp milk) - the base recipe
- 7-inch tins (3 eggs + 180g butter/ sugar/ flour + 1 1/2 tsp extract + 1 1/2 tsp baking powder + 3 tbsp milk) - this is 1.5 times the base recipe.
- 8-inch tins (4 eggs + 240g butter/ sugar/ flour + 2 tsp extract + 2 tsp baking powder + 4 tbsp milk) - this is 2 times the base recipe
Nutrition
Calories: 500kcal | Carbohydrates: 46g | Protein: 5g | Fat: 33g | Saturated Fat: 20g | Cholesterol: 155mg | Sodium: 186mg | Potassium: 164mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 1192IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 85mg | Iron: 1mg