Basic Vanilla Cake

Basic Vanilla Cake

This isn’t the first cake I ever baked, but it’s surely the first perfect cake to step out into the glorious sunshine beyond the oven-realm. And the credit for that goes to my friend Rojaly Rashmita, a cake fanatic, who told me the secret (also known as: the obvious fact cake enthusiasts knew, but I didn’t) is to use 1 teaspoon baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon baking soda for every cup of flour. That’s it. I was amazed, and went on to find out for myself. Laid out below is the child borne of that discovery.

RECIPE.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups all purpose flour
• 2/3 cup sugar, measure then powder
• 1/4 cup refined or vegetable oil
• 1 egg (or 3 tablespoons of yogurt/dahi)
• 1 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1/2 cup milk, at room temperature
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon baking soda

Method:

1. Combine the flour, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl.
2. Preheat your oven to 180°C. Let your oven preheat for at least 10 minutes.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk the powdered sugar and oil. Add in the egg/yogurt and vanilla essence. Mix. Add the milk. Mix.
4. Once all the wet ingredients have come together smoothly, slowly fold in the dry mixture in portions. The batter needs to be thick. That ensures a nice texture.
5. Grease your baking tray, sprinkle some flour, tap it around and remove the excess. You could also simply line the tray with parchment paper.
6. Pour the batter. Bake for 20-25 mins, or till the top has cracked and is golden brown. Do a knife check to ensure the done-ness. Let the cake cool down before you de-mould or slice it.

Enjoy!