Basic Vanilla Sponge Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 9-inch square baking dish. Line bottom with parchment paper; butter parchment. Dust with flour, and tap out excess; set aside. Sift together flour and cornstarch into a small bowl; set aside.
• Put yolks, vanilla, and 1/2 cup sugar into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on high speed until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a large bowl.
• Put egg whites and salt into the clean bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the clean whisk attachment. Beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 3 minutes. With mixer running, add remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a slow, steady stream. Continue beating until stiff, glossy peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Using a rubber spatula, fold egg white mixture into the yolk mixture. Fold in reserved flour mixture in 3 batches. Transfer batter to prepared pan; smooth top with an offset spatula.
• Bake until a cake tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 25 minutes. Let cool completely in pan on a wire rack. Turn out cake onto rack. Cake can be wrapped well in plastic and stored at room temperature up to 2 days.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4.
• Grease and line your cake tin. To do this, use wax paper to spread butter or margarine around all the areas your batter will touch whilst cooking. Coat the greased areas in a fine layer of flour and tap tin to remove excess. Lay a single strip of wax paper along the bottom of the tin and up each side to form "handles" which you will need later.
• Cream butter and caster sugar until light in colour and fluffy. I suggest you use an electric whisk to add more air into your batter.
• Add the eggs one at a time followed by the milk and vanilla essence. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
• Sift the flour and baking powder from the top of the bowl to add air and fold in gradually in with a metal spoon or silicone spatula.
• Pour mixture into your prepared cake tin and tap filled tin onto work surface several times to remove air bubbles and smooth the batter.
• Put into the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Whilst it's cooking, you can wash up!
• Once cooked, lay on the work surface for 10 minutes before turning out using your handles and leaving to cool if desired. If you want, you can cover your cake in a frosting or fondant or dust it in icing sugar and serve generously with tea.