I’m often accused of too much training and not enough
scoffing (no really, you can stop laughing now). In order to rebalance this I
thought I’d share with you one of the most useful recipes I know.
That and a picture of the burger cakes I make yesterday. Burgers.
As CAKE.
(thanks to www.ginandcrumpets.com for the recipe)
The committed, gluttonous eater knows that, sometimes, all
you want is a simple cake recipe that works EVERY time. There are a million and
one recipes out there with a million and two different methods. However, if I
need a quick sponge (sometimes I do have a call for an emergency sponge) this
is the recipe I always go back to.
I cannot claim credit for it, that must go to Nigella
Lawson. I confess, I cannot abide watching her television programmes as they’ve
become parodies of themselves. But Nigella is one of the best cookery writers
around today.
Collecting cookbooks (and cooking from them) is something of
a passion of mine. At the last count I had 300. So when I’m asked about them, I
can usual give a reasonable thought through answer. One of the question’s I’m
asked most often is “If you could have one cookbook, what would it be?” Well,
I’ll tell you know there are a few contenders for this
Nigel Slater – The Kitchen Diaries (possibly the best
cookery book ever written)
Gary Rhodes – Keeping it Simple
But added to this list is Nigella’s How to Eat. It’s one of
her earlier books, witty, well written and without any food porn pictures which
grace most cookbooks these days (in fact, no pictures at all).
--
Simple Sponge
2 Eggs
4oz each of Caster Sugar, Butter (or Marg) & Self
Raising Flour
1tsp Baking Power
½tsp Vanilla Extract
Splash of milk (couple of tablespoons to loosen the mix)
Method
1.
Preheat your oven to 180C and grease and line an
8” Sandwich Cake tin (by ready cut tin liners – a godsend).
2.
Place all of the ingredients into a food
processor (no need to sieve the flour) into a food processor.
3.
Press On.
4.
Have you remembered the baking powder?
5.
Mix until well blended and empty into the
prepared tin.
6.
You may now lick the bowl.
7.
Bake on a middle shelf for approx 20-25 mins (I
find 23 mins works every time) until the top of the cake is golden and springs
back when lightly touched.
8.
Cool on a cooling rack
That’s all there is too it. Chuck it in, Whizz, Bake.
Variations -
For Victoria sponge, just double
the recipe and use two tins. Sandwich with jam and sprinkle the top with icing
sugar.
For Lemon Drizzle Cake - add the
zest of one lemon to the mix and when baked mix 100g caster sugar and the juice
of the lemon and pour over the top.
It’s so versatile and you can
have a sponge ready within 30mins from a standing start. Quite often if a
different recipe requires a sponge to be made, I use this one. It works for
fairy cakes as well. By sticking with imperial measurements (ounces), the 2:4
eggs to other ingredients it’s easy to remember.
Hope this proves as useful for
you as it has for me.
Happy Running, Happy Baking
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