Everyone should have really good Basic Sponge Cake in their repertoire and this is mine! It’s a recipe you can quickly learn off by heart and it is infinitely adaptable – use it to make 1 large cake, 18 small cupcakes or 12 large cupcakes; add different flavours, toppings and fillings; or use it as the base of a Classic Sherry Trifle!
A recipe to learn off by heart!
I believe everyone should have really good Basic Sponge Cake in their repertoire and this is mine.
Once you’ve done it a few times, you’ll know it off by heart, and it is infinitely adaptable.
This basic sponge cake recipe will make 1 large cake (as per the photos here) or 18 small cupcakes, or 12 large cupcakes.
You can add all sorts of different toppings, fillings and flavourings – it’s the base recipe for everything from a classic Victoria Sandwich, to chocolate traybake cake… coffee and walnut cupcakes to this show stopping Union Jack Flag Cake, and more!
And of course, you can use it in the base of a Classic Sherry Trifle!
How to make a basic sponge cake
A basic vanilla sponge cake is so easy to make!
All you need to do is beat butter and sugar together, then mix in the eggs one at a time. Next, stir in the vanilla extract and fold in self-raising flour.
Put the mixture in a prepared cake tin and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Turn the cake out onto a wire rack to cool, and serve dusted with icing sugar.
(Full recipe given in the recipe card below.)
How to adapt a basic sponge recipe
There are lots of ways you can adapt this basic sponge cake recipe.
You could:
- Make cupcakes (12 large or 18 small), instead of 1 large cake
- Make 2 x 1lb loaf cakes or 1 x 2lb loaf cake, instead of a round cake
- Add 35g cocoa powder, to make a Chocolate Sponge Cake
- Add 35g chopped walnuts and 2 tablespoons of strong black coffee to make a Coffee and Walnut Cake
- Add the juice of 1 lemon and the zest of 2 lemons to make Lemon Sponge Cake.
- Top with a simple ‘water icing’ made from icing sugar + just enough water to make it drizzle all over the cake. (You could also sprinkle over some hundreds and thousands.)
- Sandwich together with jam and buttercream to make a Classic Victoria Sandwich Cake
- Sandwich together with fresh whipped cream and fresh strawberries to make a Strawberry and Cream Cake
- Double the recipe to make a Traybake Cake
- Use the cake as the base for a Classic Sherry Trifle
Easy Chocolate Traybake Cake
How to store Basic Sponge Cake
To keep it fresh, store this Basic Vanilla Sponge Cake in an airtight cake tin.
How long will Basic Sponge Cake keep?
A basic sponge cake will keep for up to a week, if kept in an airtight container. (Though it will taste at its best in the first 2-3 days.)
If it gets a bit stale, use it as the base for a classic homemade trifle!
Can you freeze Basic Sponge Cake?
Surprisingly, cake freezes really well! However, you should freeze the cake BEFORE decorating it.
Once completely cold, wrap the cake first in a double layer of baking paper and then in a double layer of foil. Properly wrapped, the cake should keep in the freezer for up to 3 months.
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
- Easy Peasy Victoria Sandwich Cake
- Super Simple Carrot Cake
- Easy Chocolate Traybake Cake
- Easy Carrot Cake Traybake
- Easy Victoria Sandwich Traybake Cake
Easy Carrot Cake Traybake
Basic Sponge Cake
Ingredients
- 175 g butter (softened - see Note 1)
- 175 g caster sugar
- 3 large eggs (must be room temperature)
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 175 g self-raising flour (AKA self-rising flour)
- Icing sugar (AKA confectioners sugar) for dusting (optional)
Instructions
- Pre heat your oven to 180C / 160C fan / gas mark 4 / 350F. Grease 1 x 18cm (7inch) round cake tin with butter. Put a circle of baking paper on the bottom of the tin and grease the baking paper. (There is no need to fully line the tin.)
- Beat the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy looking. (See Note 2.)
- Add one egg and beat until combined. Repeat with the other eggs, adding them in one at a time.
- Stir in the vanilla extract.
- Add in the flour and fold it in gently.
- Put the mixture in the prepared cake tin and spread the mixture evenly over the base of each tin. Level the surface with a spoon or spatula.
- Put the cake tin in the oven and cook for 20-25 minutes. When it’s ready, the cake should be golden brown on top and pulling away slightly at the sides. To be sure it’s done, push a skewer (or a teaspoon handle if you don’t have a skewer) into the cake. If it comes out clean the cake is done. If it comes out covered in mixture pop the cake back in the oven for a couple more minutes and check again.
- When the cake is ready, reove from the oven and let is sit in the tin for 5 minutes, then gently run a knife around the edge and turn it out onto a wire rack to cool.
- Serve dusted with icing sugar.
Notes
- I much prefer the taste of a cake made with butter, but the problem with butter is that, if it has been in the fridge, it is rock solid! However, I learnt a very simple trick from the amazing Mary Berry… Fill a bowl with lukewarm water (the temperature of a very little baby’s bathwater). Chop the butter into 1cm cubes. Drop the cubes into the water and leave them for 3 minutes. After 3 minutes, tip the water out. (I use my hand to stop the little butter cubes coming out with the water.) And voila! You should now have perfectly soft butter.
- You can absolutely make this cake with an electric mixer if you prefer, simply put all the cake ingredients in a large bowl and mix with an electric mixer for about 2 minutes until it looks like cake batter. However, I prefer to do things the old fashioned way (with a wooden spoon and arm power!) and so I have given you my traditional method above.
- Suitable for freezing (undecorated cakes only.)
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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