The art of the perfect sponge: recipes for the best cakes for beginners

Look no further for the perfect coffee cake, lemon drizzle, carrot and walnut, old fashioned jam and cream and chocolate sponge cake recipes

Easy baking recipes for sweet treats in a hurry. 

Victoria sponge

recipe by:Darina Allen

This buttery sponge, the best you’ll ever taste, is still my favourite to serve with afternoon tea. It keeps brilliantly and it’s even more delicious if you add some softly-whipped cream and fresh raspberries, in season, as well as the jam

Servings

10

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 35 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 125g butter

• 175g caster sugar

• 3 eggs

• 175g flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 1 tbsp milk

• For the filling:

• 110g homemade raspberry jam

• 300ml whipped cream

• caster sugar, to sprinkle

• 2 x 7 inch (18cm) sponge cake tins

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 190°C. Grease the tin with melted butter, dust with flour and line the base of each with a round of greaseproof paper.

2. Cream the butter and gradually add the caster sugar, beat until soft and light and quite pale in colour.

3. Add the eggs one at a time and beat well between each addition.

4. Sieve the flour and baking powder and stir in gradually. Mix all together lightly and add the milk to moisten.

5. Divide the mixture evenly between the 2 tins, hollowing it slightly in the centre. Bake in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes or until cooked — the cake will shrink in slightly from the edge of the tin when it is cooked, the centre should feel exactly the same texture as the edge. Alternatively, a skewer should come out clean when put into the centre of the cake. Turn out onto a wire tray and allow to cool.

6. Sandwich the two bases together with homemade raspberry jam and whipped cream. Sprinkle with sieved caster sugar. 

Lazy Person's Chocolate Cake

A chocolate cake, with very little effort

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 35 mins

Cooking Time

 35 mins

Total Time

 1 hours 10 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• For the wet cake mix:

• 175ml olive oil, not overly strong, plus extra for the tins

• 2 eggs

• 175ml buttermilk

• 170ml boiling water

• 5g/1tsp instant coffee

• For the dry cake mix:

• 125g caster sugar

• 125g light brown sugar

• 80g cocoa powder

• 230g plain flour

• 5g/1tsp sea salt flakes

• 10g/2tsp bicarbonate of soda

• 5g/1tsp baking powder

• For the malt chocolate ganache:

• 150g 70 percent cocoa solids chocolate, chopped

• 50g 55 percent cocoa solids chocolate, chopped

• Pinch of sea salt flakes

• 300g double cream

• 1tbsp malt extract (alternatively use black treacle, maple syrup or honey)

Method

1. I want to blaze through this recipe as quick as you, so here we go! Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/180°C/gas mark 4. Grease two 20cm cake tins with oil, then line with baking paper.

2. Weigh all the dry cake mix ingredients into a large bowl and stir together with a whisk to fully combine. (If the sugar is lumpy, you will have to sift it.)

3. Weigh all the wet cake mix ingredients, except the water and coffee, into a large bowl and whisk together. Make the coffee in a cup with the measured boiling water and instant coffee, pour it into the wet ingredients bowl and stir well.

4. Add the dry mix to the wet mix and stir well with a whisk to combine. Divide the mixture evenly between the prepared tins (if you want to be precise, you can weigh the total batter, then divide it exactly in half). Bake for 35 minutes, or until a skewer inserted comes out clean.

5.  Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tin for 20 minutes before flipping onto a wire rack (allow to cool fully before adding the ganache you’re about to make).

6. To make the ganache, put both the chocolates and the salt in a large heatproof bowl.

7. In a saucepan, heat the cream with the malt extract until steaming, but not boiling.

8. Pour the hot cream over the chocolate and leave for one minute. Use a whisk to stir the ganache from the middle outwards – so as not to whisk in any air – until silky and beautiful. Let the ganache sit for 10 minutes.

9. Take a large plate with a lip. Place a cooled cake on the plate and spoon over enough ganache to cover the top. Don’t worry if it spills over the edges, we kind of want this. Place the next cake on top. Pour the remaining ganache all over the top, without a care in the world. Use a spoon to guide it over, making sure plenty of ganache is falling down the sides. Put the cake in the fridge for 20–30 minutes.

10. Remove the cake from the fridge and, using a small offset palette knife, scoop up the set ganache from the edges of the plate and spread over the sides to create a smooth finish. It really is that easy and effortless. You’ll have your friends thinking you really care…

11. This cake keeps best in an airtight container at room temperature for three days. If storing in the fridge, allow to come to room temp before eating – it’ll be much nicer! I recommend warming up a slice in the microwave for 20 seconds and pouring cold cream all over it.
    
    From Sugar, I Love You: Knockout recipes to celebrate the sweeter things in life by Ravneet Gill is published by Pavilion Books

Carrot and walnut cake

This cake has a fabulous texture from the chopped walnuts, desiccated coconut and roughly grated carrot as well as gently spiced flavour - enjoy with cream cheese icing

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 40 mins

Total Time

 60 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 160g plain flour

• ½ tsp baking powder

• ½ tsp baking soda

• 1 tsp cinnamon

• ¼ tsp clove

• 1 egg yolk

• 1 egg

• 200ml sunflower oil

• 275g caster sugar

• 50g walnuts, chopped

• 50g desiccated coconut

• 135g roughly grated carrot

• 2 egg whites

• pinch of salt

• For the icing:

• 175g cream cheese

• 75g unsalted butter

• 35g icing sugar

• 25g honey

• 25g walnuts, chopped and lightly toasted

Method

1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease two 20cm (8 inch) loose-base cake tins and cover the bottom and sides with greaseproof paper.

2. Sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda and spices. Lightly whisk together the one yolk with the one whole egg. Set the whites aside.

3. In a mixer bowl with the beater attachment beat together the oil and sugar for about a minute. On a low speed slowly add the yolk and egg mix. Add the nuts and carrot and then the sifted dry ingredients. Don’t over-mix. Remove from the mixer bowl into another large bowl.

4. Make sure the mixer bowl is totally clean before pouring in the eggs whites with a pinch of salt and whisking on high speed until firm peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the carrot mix in three additions. Do not over-mix. Streaks of whites in the mix are fine.

5. Pour the cake mix into the prepared tins and bake for about 40-45 minutes or until a skewer comes out totally dry when inserted in the middle of the cake. If the cake starts going dark while the centre is not cooked cover with foil. Once ready, let the cake cool down totally and remove from the tin.

6. To make the icing, bring the cheese to room temperature and beat in a mixer until light and smooth. Remove from mixer. Beat the butter, icing sugar and honey in the mixer until light and airy. Fold together the cheese and butter mixes. Spread waves of icing on top of the cake and sprinkle with nuts.
   This recipe is from Ottolenghi: The Cookbook by Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi

Jim Tynan’s lemon drizzle cake

This classic lemon drizzle is delicious with softly whipped cream, red berries and a chilled glass of Limoncello (Italian liqueur) for the perfect summertime dessert

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 15 mins

Cooking Time

 20 mins

Total Time

 35 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 112g butter

• 168g caster sugar

• 2 eggs

• grated zest and juice of 1 lemon

• 168g self raising flour

• 4 tbsp milk

• 112g icing sugar

•  

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 170°C.

2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and lemon rind then fold in the flour with a metal spoon and then add the milk. Spoon into a pre-lined loaf tin and cook until risen in the centre, but it will fall a little when you cool the cake.

3. While the cake is cooking you can make the lemon syrup by placing the icing sugar and juice of 1 lemon in a saucepan and heating until the sugar has dissolved. When the cake comes out of the oven make some holes in the top of it with a skewer and pour the lemon syrup all over it, leave the cake in the tin until it is completely cooled. 
   This recipe was shared with Darina Allen by the late Jim Tynan.

Coffee cake

recipe by:Darina Allen

This is a splendid recipe for an old-fashioned coffee cake – the sort Mummy made – and we still make it regularly

Servings

12

Preparation Time

 1 hours 20 mins

Cooking Time

 45 mins

Total Time

 2 hours 5 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 225g soft butter

• 225g caster sugar

• 4 organic eggs

• 225g plain white flour, preferably unbleached

• 1 tsp baking powder

• Scant 2 tbsp Camp coffee essence

• For the coffee buttercream:

• 150g butter

• 330g icing sugar, sieved

• 5-6 tsp Camp coffee essence

• For the coffee glacé icing:

• 450g icing sugar

• Scant 2 tbsp Irel or Camp coffee essence

• About 4 tbsp boiling water

• To decorate:

• walnuts

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4. Line the base and sides of the tin with greaseproof or silicone paper. Brush the bottom and sides with melted butter and dust lightly with flour.

2. Beat the soft butter with a wooden spoon, add the caster sugar and beat until pale in colour and light in texture. Whisk the eggs. Add to the mixture, bit by bit, whisking well between each addition.

3. Sieve the flour with the baking powder and stir gently into the cake mixture. Finally, add in the coffee essence and mix thoroughly.

4. Pour the mixture evenly into the prepared tin and bake for 40-45 minutes. When the cake is cooked, the centre will be firm and springy and the edges will have shrunk from the sides of the tins. Leave to rest in the tin for a few minutes before turning out onto a wire rack. Remove the greaseproof paper from the base, then flip over so the top of the cake doesn’t get marked by the wire rack. Leave the cake to cool on the wire rack.

5. To make the coffee buttercream, whisk the butter with the sieved icing sugar and add the coffee essence. Continue to whisk until light and fluffy.

6. When cold, cut the cake in half. Sandwich the layer together with half of the coffee buttercream. Spread the sides and top of the cake thinly with the last of the buttercream and place into the fridge for 10-15 minutes to chill. This technique is called crumb coating.

7. Next, make the coffee glacé icing. Sieve the icing sugar and put into a bowl. Add coffee essence and enough boiling water to make it the consistency of a thick cream.

8. To dcorate, remove the cake from the fridge. Pour the glace icing evenly over the top of the cake, gently spreading it down the sides with a palette knife. Allow to set, about 30 minutes. Decorate with piped rosettes of buttercream and garnish with the caramelised walnuts.