Light, fluffy, versatile, and made in one bowl, this recipe can be used to make a range of different sponge cakes, fairy cakes and cupcakes as well as puddings.
Collect together your equipment (see Recipe Notes below) and ingredients.
Preheat oven to Fan Oven 160°C/180°C/350°F/Gas 4
Grease and line your cake tin(s) or baking dishes or insert cake tin liner(s), as necessary.
Ensure the butter is at room temperature and soft enough to beat. If not soften it slightly in the microwave. (Be very careful not to melt it though – just do 5 seconds at a time if you are unsure.)
Add all the remaining ingredients to the butter and whisk thoroughly with an electric whisk until just combined. This should take around 45 seconds to 1 minute, and no more.
NB to sieve the flour, see Recipe Notes
Transfer to the prepared cake tins or baking dish (see Recipe Notes) and cook in the centre of the oven for 18 - 22 minutes for a cake or 30 - 45 minutes for the pudding (depending on size of dish, it may take even longer) or until the sponge is cooked. It is cooked when:
- the centre feels springy when lightly touched with your finger and no imprint remains
- a toothpick inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean
- the cake is beginning to come away from the sides of the tin/dish.
NB - puddings
When making a pudding, you may need to cover the pudding with foil towards the end of cooking to prevent the pudding becoming too brown. See specific recipes for advice on this.
Equipment
If making a cake, use 2 x 15cm/6inch or 2 x 18cm/7inch cake tins for a 2 egg cake
The pudding in the picture above is made using a 1 egg sponge mix and is cooked in a 1.5 litre baking dish greased with butter (The one in the picture measures 15cm/6inches square at the base and 18cm/7inches square at the top and is 7.5 cms/3inches deep)
Sieve the flour
This cake is easy to increase, multiply using the 1 egg quantity: