1-2-3-4 cake or Sponge cake or Basic Vanilla Cake

Happy 8th Birthday "Lemon n Spice"

In this happy occasion i am sharing my favorite sponge cake ever. Vanilla cake is also known as 1-2-3-4 cake which means, 1 cup butter, 2 cups sugar, 3 cups flour and 4 eggs. You can Half this recipe easily to make it an Evening tea cake. This is a standard cake in my house as it works perfectly for any fondant cake. Butter flavor from a vanilla cake with a light and fluffy texture makes it the base of any birthday or celebration cakes.  

Basic cake or 1234 cake or sponge cake

How to make a simple Vanilla Cake / Basic Sponge Cake Recipe for Beginners:

Ingredients : 

Unsalted Butter : 1 Cup, at room temperature

Granulated White Sugar : 2 Cups (I usually take 1 3/4 Cup)

All purpose flour/ Maida : 3 Cups

Large Eggs : 4, at room temperature

Milk : 1 Cup, oom temperature

Baking Powder : 1 tablespoon

Vanilla Extract : 2 teaspoon

Salt :1/2 teaspoon

Recipe for the fool proof Vanilla Cake: 

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C) with rack in center of oven. 

2. Butter or spray the bottom of  two 9-inch x 2 inch (23 x 5 cm) cake pans. Then line the bottoms of the pans with parchment or wax paper, then spray the paper.

3. In a bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt three times.

4. Using an electric mixer or stand mixer, beat the butter until soft and creamy (about 1-2 minutes). Gradually add the sugar and beat until light and fluffy (about 3-5 minutes). 

5. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl as needed.Add the vanilla extract and beat until combined.With the mixer on low speed, alternately add the flour mixture (in three additions) and milk (in two additions), beginning and ending with the flour. 

6. Evenly divide the batter between the two prepared pans, smoothing the tops with the back of a spoon or an offset spatula. Bake 27 to 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean and the cake springs back when pressed lightly in center. 

7. Place the cakes on a wire rack to cool, in their pans, for about 10 minutes. Then invert the cakes onto a greased rack. Remove the parchment or wax paper and re-invert cakes so that tops are right side up. Cool completely before frosting.

Happy Cooking,

Lena