Eggless Vanilla Sponge Cake

It took me a 100 posts to realize that I did not have the most basic eggless sponge recipe on the blog! How did that happen?

Any way, here is my no fail recipe which I have used for numerous birthday cakes and tea cakes. This makes about a half kilo loaf when baked in a 9x5 inch loaf tin or a perfect 8 inch round. Alternatively, bake in two separate 6 or 7 inch pans to make 2 layers. As with my other eggless cake recipes, I do not use egg replacers or flax seeds. The ever versatile and easily available curd is my egg-replacement of choice. You could use milk with a spoonful of vinegar or lime juice, set aside for ten minutes, in place of curd.

Also, adding just a dash of boiling hot water only a few seconds before the batter goes into the oven does the trick in terms of getting the right elevation in the cake as well as the perfectly moist texture.

Ingredients:

• 1 and 1/2 cups plain flour

• 1 teaspoons baking powder

• 1 teaspoon baking soda

• 1/2 cup milk (120ml)

• 1/4th cup curd/yogurt (60 ml)

• 1/4th cup melted butter (60 ml)

• 1/4th cup oil

• 1 cup powdered sugar (200 gm)

• 1/2 teaspoon salt

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

For frosting:

• 200 gm whipping cream

• 1/2 cup icing sugar, plus more to adjust

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• Few drops of colour of choice

Method:

Cake:

1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees

2. Sift together dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, soda and salt

3. Mix curd, milk and squeeze in the lime juice and keep aside to make buttermilk

4. Cream sugar, butter and oil in a bowl at medium speed until it is pale and light

5. Gradually fold in the dry ingredients into the butter mix alternating with the buttermilk. Finish with vanilla extract

6. Pour boiling water just before the final mix

7. Pour batter into a prepared baking tin lined with baking paper - loaf tin if you wish to serve it as a tea cake or 2-6inch round tins if you want to frost the cake

8. Bake for 26-30 mins at 180 degrees

9. Leave to cool on a wire rack

The basic sponge recipe ends here. You may add toppers like nuts before baking, pour a drizzle or go for a complete frosting to make a celebration cake. Recipe for the frosting follows -

Frosting:

1. Whip cream to soft peaks, add icing sugar and continue to whip till stiff peaks form

2. Add a few drops of colour and vanilla extract

Assemble:

1. Let the cake layers cool down completely, cut off the domes to level the cake layers

2. Put the first layer on cake board and brush generously with simple sugar syrup (equal parts water and sugar, heated till sugar dissolves and then cooled down)

3. Add a dallop of whipped cream and spread evenly

4. Place the second layer on top and brush with sugar syrup

5. Cover the cake in crumb coat - a thin coating of whipped cream to cover all crumbs and refrigerate for an hour

6. Cover the cake in a layer of cream, use various icing nozzles to create embellishments