Vanilla Sponge Cake

Uses: Great to make a Victoria sponge, cupcakes. Or you can add flavoring, cocoa powder or Lemon to make a Lemon drizzle cake (will make a note under recipe of changes to make).

2 Cups - Plain Flour

1 Cup - Caster Sugar 

1 Tsp - Bicarbonate of Soda (not baking powder)

Pinch of Salt

1 Tsp - Vanilla Extract

1 Tbsp - Apple Cider Vinegar (or Lemon Juice)

1 Cup - Milk of your choice (I use Soya or Oat, both work great)

1/4 Cup - Oil (I use either vegetable or Olive oil)

Pre-heat Oven to 180*c or 160*c Fan

Step 1: 

Line your baking tin, I find this recipe is great for 2 8inch round tine, 12 good size cupcakes, or a loaf tin. You can line using baking parchment or rub butter (or diary free alternative) all over your pan giving full coverage of the bottom and side of pan, pour a small amount of flour in and pat tin ensuring it sticks to the butter coated the pan.

Step 2:

Sieve all your dry ingredients together in a large mixing bowl, mixing to combine. 

Step 3:

In a jug pour your Milk, Vanilla Extract, Oil. Mix these together and then you Vinegar (or Lemon Juice) mixing vigorously. This will especially make a buttermilk, so it will look slightly thicker and almost curdled looking.

Step 4:

Add your wet mix into your dry and mix together to fully combine. Try to do this quickly and pour into your tins immediately, to ensure the air bubbles remain when you placed in the oven.

Step 5:

Place in oven and bake for approx. 10/15 minutes for cupcakes, 25/35 minutes for round tins and 45/55 mins for loaf tin. The more mix in your tin the longer the bake time and oven base temperatures may vary so likely affect you bake time too.

*Tip from my Nan, when you can start to smell your cake it's close to being cooked, test with a tooth pick. Poke into middle of cake, if it comes out clean it's cooked.*

If you find you need more time on your cake and the top is starting to colour, place tin foil on top and lower the shelf, keep checking at 5 minute intervals.

Step 6:

Once cool, decorate or fill to your choosing. Fill or top with buttercream or fruit. Or serve as is.

You can cook and serve fresh or you can cool, wrap in cling film and freeze for up to 3 months, when needed defrost wrapped and use.

Recipe changes:

I love how versatile this recipe is and the amount of different cakes you can create with it. It is definitely my go to base cake mix.

Below is a list of the ingredient changes I make for another flavor of cake.

Lemon Drizzle: Add Zest of 1 Lemon, and replace the vinegar with half the juice of a Lemon (using the same jug method) and bake in a loaf tin.

Chocolate Cake: Add 1/4 cup of cocoa powder for a really chocolatey cake, I add an extra dash of milk at the end to make a nice smooth batter consistency, 

Pineapple upside down cake: Use a roasting tin, I layer pineapple slices to cover bottom of the tin, add 2 tbsp juice and a good sprinkling of brown sugar to cover.  Change Caster sugar for brown sugar and pour cake mix on top of pineapple.