vanilla sponge cake recipe, plain cake

Vanilla sponge cake recipe, a plain sponge cake recipe made using cake batter ingredients such as maida, eggs, milk etc.. which is easy to make at home. The cake is often mistaken as a very difficult one to make but it is the simplest dish one could ever make if followed certain tips and tricks.

Other cake recipes shared on the blog are cooker cake recipe, chocolate cake in cooker, eggless vanilla cake recipe, biscuit cake in cooker, plum cake etc.

Jump to:

• Different types of cakes
• How to make the basic cake batter
• To bake with oven or without oven
• Step by step procedure
• Recipe

Different types of cakes

They are available in various flavors and each flavor is distinct and tasty. The main batter to make the cake is almost similar for most of the cakes but the icing on the cakes changes with each cake.

For example, chocolate cake uses chocolate icing on the cake where as pine apple cake uses pineapple flavored icing on the cake.

Different shapes of cakes

Many cakes appear in various shapes and sizes, some of them look round in shape, heart shaped and some appear reactangular or square shape.

In this cake recipe I have made the vanilla sponge cake recipe in rectangle shape but one can use a cake pan of any shape to make the cake.

How to make the basic cake batter

Cake batter should always use plain flour that is maida/all purpose flour which should be mixed with baking powder.

Doing so makes the cake to raise by adding baking powder and cake turns out fluffy and soft.

The other main ingredients that should be added in a cake are eggs, sugar, milk and vanilla extract.

All these ingredients are very essential to make a perfect cake and to make a moist cake, oil/butter is added.

If making eggless cake, then cake can be made without eggs and to replace eggs for eggless cake the batter remains the same and the only replacement done is eggs are replaced with either condensed milk/ yogurt.

Tips to be followed to make a perfect cake

• The cake batter should not be too thin nor thick to get a moist cake.
• The consistency in the batter should be in such a way that ribbons like batter should be fallen while pouring the batter with a spatula.
• The cake pan should be greased well with oil / butter before pouring the cake batter into the pan.
• The cake pan should use baking paper at the base which makes it easy to remove the cake.

To bake with oven or without oven

Below I will be explaining how to make the cake in oven and without oven.

The procedure to make the cake is similar in both the methods and the only difference is in baking the cake in different methods.

To make vanilla sponge cake in oven

To make cake in the oven, the main thing should be considered is setting of the temperature.

In the oven, always set the temperature to 350°F or 180°C while baking any cake and cook for 35 to 40 minutes and rest of the procedure is same.

To make cake on gas stove

• To make it on cook top or stove top, use a pressure cooker or wok or any aluminium cooking utensil, add salt at the base or use sand at the base.

• Place any steel stand on the salt base or sand base or the cake pan can directly be placed on the salt.
• The only purpose of using sand or salt at the base is to prevent the base from burning.
• If cooker is used, close the lid and do not use whistle and the cooker ring.
• If normal utensil is used then just covering the lid is enough to bake the cake.

Icing or Cake frosting

• Here, to make the cake frosting, take whipping cream, add some sugar and whisk it well with the help of a beater until stiff peaks form.

• Apply the cake frosting all over the cake with the help of a spatula.

• The cake frosting can be used to make cake of any shape that is round shape, heart shape or rectangle shape.

Below is the simple vanilla sponge cake recipe that can be tried easily without oven and also in the oven...

I have shared step by step details and also a video procedure for the recipe to be understood in a better way.

Step by step procedure

• If using the oven, then preheat the oven to 350 °F or 180 ° C and if making on gas top, add salt in the base of the vessel and preheat the vessel for 10 minutes.

Greasing the cake pan

• Take a cake pan of any shape, grease all around the pan with oil or butter.
• Place a baking paper at the base of the greased pan.

Make the cake batter

• Take a mixing bowl, break two eggs and add into the bowl. Whisk the eggs well and whisk at least for 5 minutes.

• Add powdered sugar into the bowl, whisk the batter for 5 to 10 minutes until stiff peaks form.

• Add oil and whisk well. Also, add vanilla extracts.

• mix well.

• Take a sieve, add flour into the sieve, baking powder and a pinch of salt and sieve all the three ingredients into the bowl.

• Mix and fold the batter without any lumps.

• Gradually add milk little by little and mix the batter without any lumps.

• The batter consistency should be slightly thick and not too thin.

• Take the greased cake pan, pour the cake batter into the pan.

• Tap the cake pan a few times to remove any air bubbles from the batter.

• Place the cake inside the oven if the oven is used or if making a cake without the oven then place the cake pan inside a preheated vessel and close the lid.

• Bake the cake for 35 to 40 minutes in both cases that is an oven or without an oven or cook until the toothpick comes out clean after inserting it.

• Take the cake pan out carefully and allow it to cool down.

• Loosen the edges of the pan and remove the cake by turning the pan upside down.
• Serve hot during birthdays or during tea time.

Recipe