Juliet Sear's foolproof sponge cake recipe for any occasion!
Juliet's foolproof method is the key to creating just about any cake you'll ever need. From cupcakes to tray bakes and show stopping layer cakes, she'll be showing us how to whip up her fluffy 'one size fits all' sponge cake recipe that can be personalised into any flavour with just a few simple switch ups.
The Only Cake Recipe You’ll Ever Need
Makes 1 x 20cm sponge with two layers, 1 x 23x33cm traybake or about 16 cupcakes
Ingredients
165g butter spread (e.g. Lurpak) or margarine of your choice35g light olive oil or sunflower oil 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract200g caster sugar4 medium eggs250g self-raising flour½ tsp baking powder½ tsp sea salt65g soured cream, room temperature For the frosting: 500g unsalted butter, softened1kg icing sugar1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan.
2. Beat together the butter and oil with the vanilla. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in one egg at a time until combined.
3. In another bowl, whisk the baking powder and salt into the flour.
4. Gently mix half of the flour into the wet ingredients. Add the soured cream mix, and then add in the remaining flour.
5. Divide the batter into the desired tin and bake until risen, golden and cooked through (cooking times differ according to cake type).
6. To make the frosting, beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla.
Mocha Cupcakes
Makes 16 cupcakes
Ingredients
165g butter spread (e.g. Lurpak) or margarine of your choice35g light olive oil or sunflower oil 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract200g caster sugar4 medium eggs50g cocoa powder200g self-raising flour½ tsp baking powder½ tsp sea salt100g soured cream, room temperature
For the frosting: 400g unsalted butter, softened800g icing sugar2 tbsp strong espresso powder combined with 2 tbsp hot water to make a paste
To decorate:Chocolate coated coffee beans Extra cocoa powder
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 160C fan. Line a cupcake tin with cake cases.
2. Beat together the butter and oil with the vanilla. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in one egg at a time until combined.
3. In another bowl, sieve the cocoa powder into the flour with the baking powder and salt.
4. Gently mix half of the flour into the wet ingredients. Add the soured cream mix, and then add in the remaining flour.
5. Divide the batter between the cupcake cases and bake for 14-16 minutes, so they stay a little fudgy. Leave to cool.
6. To make the frosting, beat together the butter and sugar, and mix in the coffee paste.
7. Once the cupcakes are cool, pipe the buttercream in swirls with a round nozzle, or spoon on if preferred. Decorate with chocolate coated coffee beans and a dusting of cocoa powder.
Peaches and Cream Traybake
Makes 1 23x33cm traybake
Ingredients
165g butter spread (e.g. Lurpak) or margarine of your choice35g light olive oil or sunflower oil 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract200g caster sugar4 medium eggs½ tsp baking powder½ tsp sea salt250g self-raising flour65g soured cream, room temperature 250g drained tinned peaches, roughly chopped
For the cream topping: 600ml double cream1 tbsp icing sugar1 tsp vanilla bean paste2-3 tbsp peach jam or compote, stirred well to loosen
To decorate:Peach pieces
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan.
2. Beat together the butter and oil with the vanilla. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in one egg at a time until combined.
3. In another bowl, whisk the baking powder and salt into the flour.
4. Gently mix half of the flour into the wet ingredients. Add the soured cream mix, and then add in the remaining flour. Fold in the peaches.
5. Spread the batter into a lined traybake tin and bake for 25-30 minutes. Set aside to cool.
6. Whip the double cream to soft peaks and spread over in lashings on the top of the cake. Dollop spoons of jam over the top and drag through the cream to marble.
Birthday Funfetti cake
Makes 2 20cm round cakes
Ingredients
165g butter spread (e.g. Lurpak) or margarine of your choice35g light olive oil or sunflower oil 1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract200g caster sugar4 medium eggs½ tsp baking powder½ tsp sea salt250g self-raising flour65g soured cream, room temperature 3-4 tbsp bake-stable funfetti, plus extra for decorating
For the frosting: 500g unsalted butter, softened1kg icing sugar1 tsp vanilla bean paste or extract
Method
1. Preheat the oven to 170C fan.
2. Beat together the butter and oil with the vanilla. Add the sugar and beat until fluffy. Mix in one egg at a time until combined.
3. In another bowl, whisk the baking powder and salt into the flour.
4. Gently mix half of the flour into the wet ingredients. Add the soured cream mix, and then add in the remaining flour and stir in the funfetti.
5. Divide the batter into 2 20cm round tins and bake for about 18-22 minutes, until risen, golden and cooked through.
6. To make the frosting, beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla.
7. Once cooled, sandwich the two layers with buttercream and crumb coat. Chill until set firm.
8. Add a final neater coat of buttercream over the cake, press in extra funfetti around the base to create a sprinkle band.
9. If you wish, add some extra swirls of buttercream on the top with a piping bag fitted with a large star nozzle and add extra sprinkles.
Other flavour switches:
Classic vanilla Victoria Sponge style:
- Layer the cake with vanilla frosting and add strawberry or raspberry jam.
Chocolate sponge:
- Substitute 50g of the self-raising flour for cocoa in the sponge and add chocolate to the butter cream.
Caramel flavour:
- Substitute the caster sugar for light muscovado to make a brown sugar sponge, and add salted caramel to the centre of the cake and to the buttercream.
Cinnamon flavour:
- Substitute the caster sugar for brown sugar and add 1 tbsp cinnamon. Add biscoff-style spread to the middle of the cake layers, and a little of the spread to the frosting.
Lemon sponge:
- Replace the vanilla in the sponge with lemon zest and juice. Add lemon curd to the centre and the frosting.
- Optional: add crushed meringue to the centre of the cake and on top to make a lemon meringue cake.
Marble cake:
- Split the batter in half. Make one half a chocolate sponge, and make a traybake or layer cake.
Cherry Bakewell cake:
- Swirl cherry jam through the sponge batter and add marzipan chunks and almond extract.
- Layer with almond buttercream (add a dash of almond extract to the frosting).
- Top with toasted flaked almonds and cherries.
Black Forrest Gateau-style cake:
- Make a chocolate sponge as above but use extra dark cocoa.
- Layer the cakes with cherry jam and fresh cream spiked with Kirsch.
- Top the cake with cherries and chocolate flakes.
Chocolate orange cake:
- Make a chocolate sponge as above, also adding in orange zest.
- Top with a chocolate buttercream, and add extra orange zests and chocolate orange segments.
Coconut and lime cake:
- Add lime zest and desiccated coconut to the sponge, and add coconut to the buttercream.
- Decorate with desiccated coconut.