This is an easy to make recipe.
Ingredients:250g unsalted butter, at room temperature
200g plain flour/ all purpose flour
1 tsp double action baking powder (I use just basic baking powder)
200g castor sugar
4 eggs
½ tsp salt
4 tbsp fresh milk (I use 1 small cup of plain yogurt, full fat for full flavour)
1 tsp vanilla essence
Methods:
- Preheat oven to 180°C. (Best to preheat for 15 mins)
- Lightly grease a 22cm square baking tin with melted butter or oil and line it with grease-proof paper.
- Mix plain flour and baking powder together and sieve. Add in salt and mix well. Set aside.
- Use low speed to mix butter and sugar until well combined. Change to medium speed and beat until light and pale in yellow. (Note: Sugar has not dissolved yet).
- Add in the first egg. Beat well after each addition of egg until creamy.
- Scrape down the sides for even mixing.
- Add in vanilla essence and mix well.
- Divide flour into three portions, use lowest speed to mix in flour. Scrape down sides for even mixing.
- Finally, add milk (or yogurt) bit by bit.
- Pour the mixture into the greased baking tin. Shake it lightly to distribute cake mixture evenly.
- Bake for 45 minutes or until golden brown and cooked. If a toothpick/skewer comes out clean, it is done.
- Remove it from the oven and leave the cake in the tin to cool on the wire rack for another 5 minutes.
- Best to serve warm.
- When adding egg, use low speed to mix until well combined and then change to medium speed.
- If the eggs are added to the sugar-fat mixture too quickly, it will cause the mixture to curdle (or separate). If this happens, add 1-2 tbsp of plain flour and mix well.
- Break egg into a bowl before adding into the cake mixture. This is to prevent any spoil egg from ruining the whole cake mixture.
- The baking time and oven temperatures vary depending on the types of oven, so use your own judgment to experiment.
