Vanilla Sponge Cake

What you’ll need

Let’s do this

1. 1

   Prepare

   Heat the oven to 325°F (165°C), or 300°F (150°C) fan. Grease an 8-inch (20 cm) round pan at least 3 inches (7.5 cm) deep. Line the base and sides with parchment.

2. 2

   Cream

   Beat the butter and sugar for 4–5 minutes until visibly paler and fluffy. Scrape down the bowl.

3. 3

   Add the eggs

   Beat in the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each. Add the vanilla. If the mixture begins to split, mix in a spoonful of the measured flour.

4. 4

   Fold

   Whisk the remaining flour with the baking powder and salt. Fold into the batter in two additions, alternating with the milk. Stop as soon as smooth. Do not taste raw batter.

5. 5

   Bake

   Spoon into the pan and smooth the top. Bake for 50–60 minutes, until golden, springy in the center and a skewer comes out clean. If the top browns early, loosely cover with foil for the remaining baking time.

6. 6

   Cool

   Leave in the pan for 20 minutes, then carefully turn out onto a rack. Remove the paper and cool for about 70 minutes before slicing.

7. 7

   Optional: make pink buttercream

   Once the cake is completely cold, beat the 150 g softened butter until smooth. Gradually beat in the 300 g powdered sugar, then add 1 tablespoon milk, vanilla and salt. Add the second tablespoon milk only if needed. Set aside small spoonfuls for piping, tint the main portion pink and tint the reserved portions as desired.

8. 8

   Optional: decorate

   Spread a thin crumb coat over the cake and refrigerate for 30 minutes, then add the remaining pink frosting. Put the small colored portions into piping bags or sturdy food bags with tiny snipped corners and draw simple shapes or a message. The listed timing includes this optional finish; serving the cake plain saves about 20 minutes of prep and 30 minutes of chilling.