How to make a cake

After watching a TV chef murder a cake on television, I was inspired to publish the correct way to bake a cake. Contrary to what people who also saw her show might be led to believe, a cake is not supposed to have a dip in the middle :-p nor is the cake mix supposed to separate when you add the eggs.

Here’s an easy recipe my family have been using for ages and a step by step method that always works (as far as I know :-p)

For an 8 inch tin, here are the ingredients:

• 7oz self raising flour (if you want to make a chocolate cake then change the amount to 6oz self raising flour and 1 ½ oz of cocoa)
• 7oz caster sugar
• 7oz softened butter (cut it into squares, 10 seconds in the microwave should do it)
• 3 eggs at room temperature (weigh the eggs whole and get them to as near 7oz as possible. Less is perfectly ok but never put more then 7oz or it’ll taste eggy)

For the filling

•  Butter cream: 2oz softened butter, about 4 tablespoons of icing sugar
• A tablespoon of melted jam (raspberry or strawberry or whatever you like)
• For chocolate cake, forget about the jam and add a tablespoon of cocoa to the butter cream.

Method 

• Preheat the oven to 170° C and grease two 8 inch sandwich tins. Even if they are non-stick tins, it’s best to line them with baking paper, greasing the tin before lining with paper and then greasing the paper on top as well.
• Beat together the sugar and butter with a wooden spoon until the mixture is light and fluffy. If you have an electric whisk however, definitely use it instead!
• Beat the eggs. Add one tablespoon of the egg into the butter and sugar mix and whisk with an electric whisk until fully blended. Then add another spoon and whisk. Repeat until all the egg is finished. If you don’t have an electric whisk, I’m afraid you’ll have to beat the eggs in this way with a wooden spoon.
• Once the egg is all completely blended in sift in the flour (and cocoa if you’re making it chocolate) and fold in gently with a metal spoon until well combined. Take your time at this stage and be very gentle so as not to knock out the air.
• Spoon into the prepared tins in equal amounts and bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.
• Cool in the tin for 10 minutes then turn out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.
• When the cake has cooled, spread the melted jam (again, 10 seconds in the microwave should do it) on one half of the cake on the flat side. Place the other half on the plate or cake board you’re serving on, flat side up and spread the butter cream on it. Sandwich together and you’re all done.

You can decorate the cakes with anything, a light sifting of icing sugar on the plain cake or cocoa on the chocolate cake. But what I like for the chocolate cake is a simple fudge like icing:

2oz of butter melted on low heat in a pan, add 2 tablespoons of icing sugar, a teaspoon of cocoa powder and about 3 tablespoons of milk. Stir until the mixture thickens, adding more cocoa if it doesn’t look chocolaty enough or more icing sugar if it’s too watery. Take off the heat and let it cool a bit, keep stirring, then pour over the top of the cake spreading it with a spatula or butter knife. Leave to set.

The cake recipe can also be used to make cupcakes, changing the amounts to 4oz each of everything and 2 eggs. For chocolate cupcakes do the same but instead of 4oz of self-raising flour use 3oz plus 1oz of cocoa.