DIY Recipes: How to make a simple Vanilla cake

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups granulated/ confectioners’ sugar

3 cups cake/all-purpose flour

1 cup unsalted butter/oil at room temperature, plus more for the pan

4 large eggs at room temperature

1 tablespoon vanilla extract

1-¼ cups whole/butter/heavy cream milk

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

Method

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Grease two cake pans with butter/oil and line the bottoms with parchment paper

Whisk together flour, the baking powder and salt in a bowl until combined then set aside.

Beat the eggs with sugar for a whole 7 minutes until thick and glossy, it changes from yellow to white with a mixer or blender. Scrape down the bowl when needed.

Gradually add flour mixture into the egg mixture in 3 lots, mixing for just 5 seconds on Speed 1 in between. This should make the flour just incorporated

Using a microwave or stove, heat milk with 1 butter until it melts. Mix the rest of the butter into hot milk to bring down the temperature of the hot milk so it won’t “cook” the eggs when added. OR

Combine milk with oil if using, and mix together until incorporated

Slowly pour the milk mixture back into the flour mixture over 20 seconds on Speed 1. Scrape down sides of bowls, then mix for 10 seconds on Speed 1, the batter should now be smooth;

Add in the vanilla. Pour into 2 cake pans lined with parchment/baking paper.

Bake until the cakes are lightly golden on top and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean, 30 to 35 minutes.

Then run a knife around the edge of the pans and turn the cakes out onto the racks to cool completely.

Remove the parchment. Trim the tops of the cakes with a long serrated knife to make them level

Decorate with your favourite frosting, smother with cream, fresh berries, swirl with chocolate fudge frosting or simply dust with icing sugar and serve with a dollop of yoghurt.