Easy Sponge Cake Recipe - aka Football Cake

When people complement me on my baking I always feel a bit of a fraud. Not because I buy the cakes, promise; but because it's not difficult. In fact baking is really easy once you learn the basic rules.

I always enjoyed science at school and baking is chemistry, you take a set of ingredients, follow the method and ta-dah, the result is cake. Yes the hardest part is knowing if it's done; but that's just practise.

My go to cake recipe is the one my Mum taught me and her Mum taught her. I like to think of it as my Football Cake because then the recipe is easy to remember, it's basically 4-4-2 like the football formation.

Here goes...

Sponge Cake - aka Football Cake

• 4 oz butter, softened (left out of the fridge overnight)
  
• 4 oz caster sugar
  
• 4 oz self-raising flour
  
• 2 eggs, beaten
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
  

Method

You can throw all the ingredients into a food processor or electric mixer and beat them together - this gives a classic Victoria Sponge with a denser, firmer texture that my Mum loves. Personally I prefer the creaming method because I think it gives a lighter texture.

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together. See Top Tips.
3. Once the mixture looks a lighter texture and colour (about three minutes) you can slowly add the eggs a teaspoon at a time. I alternate this with a spoonful of flour, so the batter doesn't curdle. 
4. Keep alternating until all the eggs have been incorporated, then add the vanilla extract and the rest of the flour. I use the electric mix the whole time; but on a slow speed.
5. Pour the batter into a non-stick loose bottomed tin. I prefer one with high sides as you won't stick your finger into the cake accidentally when you're turning it or taking it out of the oven.
6. Put it in the oven on the middle shelf. Bake for 15 - 20 minutes, depending on your oven. Mine cooks more on one side than the over, so the cake has to be turned regularly after the first ten minutes. I know some people say never open the oven on a sponge; but I've never had a problem. Just work quickly, turn the tin a quarter turn, without banging or knocking it and then shut the door carefully so that you don't jar it and force the air out of the cake.
7. To test if the cake is done - it should look golden all over and smell good. Press your little finger lightly to the top of the cake and it should spring back immediately after you remove your finger. Then use a skewer, insert it into the cake and see if it comes out clean - completely clean, not remotely gooey; but maybe with a few crumbs stuck to it. See Top Tips for more help in testing the cake.
8. Leave to cool for 5 - 10 minutes; but remove the cake from the tin before it's completely cold. I stand the cake tin on a can of beans and slide the tin down off the cake. If it's stuck, carefully run a blunt knife or a plastic spatula around the tin. Do not cut or scrape the non-stick surface though.
9. Now you can eat the cake as it is, cut it in half and add jam and butter cream, ice it or dust some icing sugar over. The choice is yours. Either way it will taste delicious and won't last long. Enjoy!

Top Tips

• This recipe can be scaled up and down. As it stands it serves about six people a small/medium sized slice. For a more generous serving I would double the recipe.
• To get a light sponge you really need an electric mixer. It can be done by hand; but you'll have to work really hard to get the right texture and I've never had the energy to even try. It's my dream to own a Pink Kitchen Aide. Until then I use Mum's Kenwood mixer, she got it as a wedding present and it's still going strong. The great thing is that it sits on a stand, so I don't have to hold it and saves my energy.
  
• I always use salted butter. I know a lot of bakers don't like it in cakes; but I like the balance of the sweet and slight salt. It tastes like real old fashioned butter does. I also don't use expensive butter when I bake. The basic butter works fine and tastes great.
  
• I think a cake gets heavier when it's done; but I have no idea why.
• The cake also sounds different, it can sound a little wet when you press the top if the centre is undercooked. Just put it back for a few minutes and try again. The wet sound goes away when it's done.
• If the cake is almost done; but it's starting to go too brown on top, cover it with foil.

• Keep checking the cake in the final minutes. Set a timer because you will get distracted and forget - I always do I get absorbed in something and then get upset I've wasted all that time. 
• Saying that cake is easy to salvage - cut off the burnt bits and cover it in icing. Serve it with sliced with fruit and ice cream. Make it into a trifle. Or crumble it up and mix it with buttercream to make cake pops. Cake never has to go to waste, you just have to get a little creative.
• To ring the changes you can alter the cake for a different flavour. 
• Chocolate - take out an ounce of flour and replace it with cocoa.
• Lemon, Orange or Lime - add the zest of a citrus fruit to the batter when you add the vanilla extract.
• Add an ounce of chocolate chips, dried fruit, chopped stem ginger or cherries. 
• Honey - I've also switched the sugar for honey and this gives the cake a light, floral scent and lovely taste.