How to bake a simple cake

Video: Easy Vanilla Sponge Cake Without Oven Recipe | How To Make Basic Sponge Cake | Plain Sponge Cake

Content

Part 2 of 3: Bake the cake
Part 3 of 3: Try different options
Tips
What do you need

1 Combine flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl. Add 1 3/4 cups (218 grams) all-purpose flour to a bowl, add 1 teaspoon (4 grams) baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon (3 grams each) baking soda and salt. Whisk the dry ingredients well for about 10 seconds.

Baking soda and baking powder are needed for the dough to rise when baking. If you haven't baked anything for a long time, check the expiration date on packages of baking powder and baking soda to ensure that they can be used.

2 Whisk in a separate bowl. butter and sugar for 4-5 minutes. Take a large bowl and add 3/4 cups (170 grams) room temperature butter and 1 1/2 cups (300 grams) granulated sugar. Set the speed on a stationary or hand mixer to medium speed and beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.

You should use butter at room temperature so that it mixes evenly with the sugar. As a result, the cake will not be dense, but light and airy.
Turn off the mixer and run it over the sides of the bowl several times to collect all the butter.

Advice: to cut back on sugar, add 1 1/4 cups (250 grams) granulated sugar. Note that when baking in the oven, the sugar will darken the dough, so using less sugar may make the cake pale.

3 At low speed, break two eggs into the butter and sugar mixture, one at a time. Set the mixer to a low speed and add one egg at room temperature. Continue stirring the ingredients until the egg is completely mixed in, then add the second egg. Continue stirring until you can distinguish between yolks and whites.

Use eggs at room temperature - in this case, the dough absorbs air better and rises in the oven.

4 Add dry ingredients and buttermilk to make the dough smooth. Continue to work with the mixer at low speed and add approximately 1/3 of the dry ingredients. Then measure out 3/4 cup (180 ml) buttermilk or whole milk and pour half into a bowl. When the liquid is mixed with the rest of the ingredients, add the second third of the dry ingredients. Finally, add the remaining buttermilk and the last third of the dry ingredients.

Finish stirring the dough after adding the last portion of dry ingredients. Stirring the dough for too long can result in a tough or dense cake.

Part 2 of 3: Bake the cake

1 Preheat oven to 175 ° C and line a baking dish with parchment paper. A square shape of 23 × 23 centimeters, a rectangular shape of 23 × 13 centimeters, or a round shape with a diameter of 23 centimeters will do. Sprinkle cooking spray on it, then cut out a sheet of parchment paper the same size as the bottom of the mold.
- Try to use a metal baking dish as it conducts heat better than a glass or ceramic one.
- If you want to bake simple muffins, place paper inserts in 16-18 muffin tins.
Advice: The parchment paper will make it easier to remove the cake from the mold, the bottom of the cake will not burn or become too dark.
2 Pour the dough into the mold. Spoon or scoop all dough into prepared baking dish and level with the back of a knife or spatula. This is to ensure that the dough rises evenly during baking.
- If you're making muffins and not a cake, use a spoon to spread the dough into the tins.
3 Bake a simple cake for 45-60 minutes. Place the dough pan on the medium wire rack of the preheated oven and bake for 45 minutes. In this case, the dough should acquire a rich golden color and begin to lag behind the walls of the mold. The ovens vary slightly, so the cake may take longer to cook. Don't worry if it takes 15 minutes longer.
- You can stick a toothpick or corkscrew into the center of the cake to check if the dough is done. When you take out the toothpick, it should stay clean, otherwise wait a few more minutes and then check the cake again.
- If you're making simple muffins, check them after 20 minutes.
Advice: If you live at a significant altitude, try adding another egg to keep the cake dry. You can also reduce the baking time by 5-8 minutes, as the dough will cook faster.
4 Remove cake from oven and chill on wire rack for one hour. Turn off the oven, put on the oven mitts and take out the cake. Place the cake on a wire rack and wait for it to cool completely before removing it from the mold.
- Don't worry about the cake sticking to the mold, as you've covered the bottom with parchment paper.
5 Remove the cake from the mold. After the cake has cooled completely, run a butter knife between the edges of the cake and the sides of the pan. Place the baking dish on the table, turn over the wire rack and cover the baking dish with it. Press down on the wire rack and turn the cake pan upside down to place the cake on the wire rack.
- You do not need to use oven mitts, as the cake has already cooled down.
6 Remove the parchment paper and serve a plain cake. Take your time to remove the parchment paper that is stuck to the bottom of the cake and discard it. Flip the cake over and cut into slices to serve. If you want to brighten up the cake a little, you can sprinkle it with icing sugar, frosting with buttercream, or icing it.
- Place leftover cake in an airtight container and store at room temperature for up to 2 days. You can also refrigerate them for up to 7 days, but in this case the cake may dry out.

Part 3 of 3: Try different options

1 Substitute some of the cocoa flour to make a chocolate cake. To make a great chocolate cake instead of plain, use 1/2 cup (65 grams) of cocoa powder instead of 1/2 cup (65 grams) all-purpose flour. You can also add 1 cup (175 grams) of bittersweet chocolate drops to enhance the flavor.
- Consider decorating your chocolate cake with a cream cheese or butter chocolate frosting.
You can make Red Velvet Cake by simply adding 1 tablespoon (7.5 grams) of cocoa powder to the dry ingredients and 1/2 tablespoon (7.5 milliliters) of white vinegar and 30 milliliters of red food coloring to the liquid mixture.
2 Add 1-2 teaspoons (5-10 milliliters) of extract for extra flavor. You can add a little flavorful extract to the dough when you put your eggs in it. Try vanilla, lemon, almond, coffee, coconut, or orange extract.
- If you want to make a citrus-flavored cake, try adding grated zest of one lemon, one orange, or half a grapefruit to the sugar before mixing it with butter. As a result, the citrus oil will saturate the sugar.
3 Add spices to dry ingredients for a savory cake. Use a whisk to whisk 1 teaspoon (2 grams) ground cinnamon, 1/2 teaspoon (1 gram) ground cardamom or spice mixture, and a pinch of ground black pepper to the dry ingredients of a plain cake. After you knead the spicy dough and bake the cake, you can decorate it with a cream cheese frosting.
- For extra zest, add 1 tablespoon (7 grams) of grated ginger to the butter / sugar mixture.
4 Spread the filling over a plain cake before baking. To add extra color or crispiness to the cake, add a handful of chopped or chopped nuts, such as almonds or pecans. You can also garnish your birthday cake with colorful caramel chips, or your plain coffee cake with crumbly pastry chips.
- For an even crunchier cake, use roasted nuts instead of raw ones.
5 Replace eggs with something else if you want to make a cake without eggs. If you don't want to add eggs to your baked goods, use a vegan egg replacement or 100 ml milk, buttermilk, or sour cream instead of two eggs. However, keep in mind that in this case the cake will turn out to be slightly drier than with eggs.
- To make a completely vegan plain cake, you will also need to replace the butter and milk. Almond or oat milk can be used in place of milk or buttermilk.
6 Choose the right flour to make a gluten-free cake. Purchase gluten-free baking flour and use it in place of all-purpose flour. It's very easy - just add the same amount of gluten-free flour instead of all-purpose flour!
- If you want to use gluten-free (such as almond or chickpea) flour, follow the instructions on the package when baking the cake. Note that the cake may turn out to be less soft than regular all-purpose flour.

Tips

If you do not have a stand or hand mixer, you can knead the dough by hand using a wooden spoon.
Try adding a handful of dry fruits, chocolate drops, or toasted nuts to the dough for a simple cake.