Plain Cake

Plain Cake

Plain Cake layered and cut to demonstrate the baked cake

This recipe is called Plain Cake because it is a basic cake recipe that you can either eat as it is or decorate in several ways. You may apply frosting or cream or sandwich it with jam. I like it sliced with butter & tea. You may also bake it in any shaped pan including muffin pans. This cake tastes a lot like a Pound Cake, Sponge cake or Queen Cake that I often had in South Africa. There is an image of this plain cake in the header above as well as on the right & below

There are also images of Lamingtons which were created from this basic cake. Follow the recipes for details

Be sure to lightly dab the baking pan with oil before you add the dough. You may also use the empty butter wrappers to coat baking pans, thus using up the last traces of butter on the wrappers.

Remember to use oven gloves or dish cloths to hold hot items from the oven. When cool, serve plain, or with butter (the vegan type if you prefer that) & enjoy with tea or your favorite beverage.

Here is the recipe for A Basic Plain Cake


INGREDIENTS

  1. 2 cups all purpose flour
  2. ¼ tsp. salt
  3. 4 tsps/20 ml. baking powder
  4. 3 Tblsps. soft butter
  5. 1/3 cup sugar (more if you like it sweeter)
  6. 1/3 cup oil
  7. 1 - 1 &2/3 cups milk, The amount is between these 2 measures
  8. 1 tsp. vanilla essence

METHOD

  1. Sift numbers 1-3
  2. Cream butter, oil & sugar (use a whisk or beater)
  3. Add milk to this mixture,
  4. Do not pour all of the milk at once, add a cup, mix & more in small amounts
  5. Add flour
  6. Mix thoroughly. Add vanilla essence
  7. Heat oven to 400°F. Pour mix into 2 baking pans, 9" in width
  8. Bake for approx. 12-15 minutes. The tops will be a light golden brown
  9. Open oven door and insert a skewer or butter knife into cake. If it comes out clean it is done. If there is dough on the skewer, leave in oven a few more minutes & test again
  10. Allow to cool before removing from baking pan
  11. To easily lift cake , run a spatula around the pan edges taking care not to poke into the cake. This should loosen the cake which you can gently lift out or turn upside down gently and tap on bottom to remove
  12. Slice and serve plain or with a topping of butter. When cool you may add frosting or cut into squares and convert to Lamingtons. If you used a muffin pan you could make snowballs




batter-in-pans

Different containers may be used

batter

The batter well mixed and ready to go into baking pans

lamingtons

Plain Cake cut into shapes & dipped in syrup & rolled in coconut









Lamingtons Syrup

INGREDIENTS & METHOD

  1. 1 cup boiling water
  2. 2 oz. butter
  3. 1½ cups powdered sugar (icing sugar)
  4. ½ tsp. vanilla essence
  5. A cup of dessicated coconut
  6. 2 tsps. cocoa
  • Bring 1-3 to the boil. Add essence & cocoa powder
  • Mix thoroughly, cut cake in little squares, dip in syrup and roll in coconut

Those on special diets should substitute ingredients that comply with a particular health condition.

Long before I began cooking & baking, my sisters, Maya and Dharam were seasoned cooks. Both are vegetarians and Maya also cooks meat dishes for her husband and son. Although she does not taste any of the meat dishes she is always complimented about her excellent cooking.

Dharam began experimenting with egg-less cakes and had some excellent results. She passed on her recipes to me. This plain cake recipe has been adapted from her original recipe.

If you have problems accessing these products or have any questions at all, email me, Nirmala, at email address.
I will be happy to help in any way I can. The site will be regularly updated with tasty recipes and hints and tips. You will find my contact information at Contact

Now quickly and easily navigate to your next destination.