Birthday Cake

OK, so this is a recipe for a standard vanilla sponge cake. It's a candle that makes a Birthday Cake, but I defy you to not think of birthdays every time you eat a bit of sponge with jam and buttercream.

Actually, I might try that challenge myself one day....  Indeed, it could even make a regular event:
"Does this cake taste like birthdays?"
"Yes."
"Oh well, better luck tomorrow!"

But let's not get ahead of ourselves, or our waistlines. This quantity is for 2 x 7 inch round cake tins. For other sizes, and for more variations on flavour - I implore you to buy this book which has some superb starter cake recipes and many many cake designs.

Ingredients:

300g softened butter
300g caster sugar
5 eggs (recipe calls for medium, but I always use large)
4 tbsp milk
400g self-raising flour
1 tbsp of vanilla extract

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 160°C, and grease and line 2 x 7" cake tins.
• I use a cheap electric hand whisker to cream together the butter and sugar till you see the mixture lighten
• Lightly mix the eggs, milk and vanilla extract in a separate bowl
• Sieve out your flour into a third container
• Put the hand whisk on a low setting, and start to pour the egg mix into the butter and sugar, alternating with the flour until it is all mixed together. Don't over whisk.

Pour the batter equally into the 2 cake tins, place in the middle of the oven and bake for around 40 minutes. I will normally set the timer for 35 minutes and keep an eye on it till the end - you don't want it to overcook. You'll know it's done when it is firm to touch and a knife/skewer inserted comes out clean.


See Also: Icing; Jam