I have never developed a liking for cakes that have cream frosting or any Icing applied on it and my preference is for the plain cake - vanilla or chocolate.I still remember those days when we used to have plain Vanilla Sponge CakeatButter Sponge in Bangalore city; believe me that cake used to be absolutely soft and fluffy.
I do make cakes with Icing but only for specific occasions but in general I prefer to bake simple plain cakes on a regular basis as an accompaniment with evening tea/coffee or just as an anytime snack.I also use this plain Vanilla Sponge Cake for Cake Pops and also as a base for Fruit Trifle | Trifle Pudding.
A few years back when I saw this recipe in Madhuri's blog,which she tried from Nita Mehta's book,I knew that I would be baking that cake as I was in search of good Sponge Cake at that time.I am glad that I prepared that cake as my search for a good Eggless Vanilla Sponge Cake finally ended. I wonder why it took so long for me to post this beautiful cake recipe in my blog.The recipe is quite simple with no butter or any other fancy substitutes-it is a simple and straight forward recipe.You should try this recipe and am sure you would agree that it is the best Eggless Vanilla Sponge Cake recipe.
If you are in search for a good Eggless Cake recipes I would strongly recommend you to try these tried and tested Eggless Cake recipes from my blog which were appreciated by many.
Basic Eggless Vanilla Sponge Cake | Eggless Tutti Frutti Cake Recipe:
Makes one 8" round cake or 4"x7" loaf tin
Original recipe source: Nita Mehta
Prep time: 10 mins | Baking time: 30-40 mins | Total time: 1 hr
Cuisine: Indian|International | Category: Cakes - Baking
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups All purpose flour(Maida)
3/4 cup Sugar
1 cup Curd,beaten
1/3 cup Tutti frutti(optional)
1/2 cup Oil
1 1/4 tsp Baking powder
1/2 tsp Baking Soda
a pinch of Salt
2" Vanilla Pod or 2 tsp Vanilla essence
1 tsp milk,to brush the cake
2 tsp flour,to coat the tin and tutti frutti
Method:
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Grease an 8" round pan or the 4"x7" loaf tin with oil.Add a tsp of flour and shake it well so that it coats all the sides and bottom of the tin.Alternatively you can line it with baking paper,make sure you cut it into right size before lining it in the pan.
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Preheat the oven at 200 deg C(400 deg F) for 10-12 mins.
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Sieve all purpose flour a couple of time to ensure that there are no lumps in it.
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Grind sugar to a fine powder in mixer.You can avoid this step if your sugar is fine,as the sugar crystals what we get here are very big I usually grind it before using in the cake.
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In a bowl beat curd until smooth.Add sugar powder to it and beat again for 2-3 mins.
Add baking powder and baking soda to the curd mixture and mix well and leave it aside for 2-3 mins.The curd mixture will become frothy and increase in volume,you can see some bubbles forming in it.
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Scrape the vanilla bean if you are using and keep it ready.
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Now add the scraped vanilla pod or vanilla essence and oil to the curd mixture and mix it nicely and gently and make sure that the air in the mixture is not lost.
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Add the flour in two batches and gently fold the flour into the mixture until you get smooth dropping consistency.Do not stir vigorously as it will loose air in the mixture,hence do it gentle.
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In a small bowl take tutti frutti and add 1 tsp of flour and mix well.the addition of flour to tutti frutti ensures that it will not settle in the bottom of the tin.
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Add the tutti frutti to the cake batter and fold it nicely.
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Pour this batter into the prepared tin and keep it ready.
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Reduce the oven temperature to 180 deg C(350 deg F) and place the tin in the preheated oven and bake it at 180 deg C for 35-40 mins.The baking time varies from oven to oven,hence keep an eye over it after 30 mins.
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You can insert a toothpick in the center of the cake to check whether it is done or not.If the toothpick comes out clean with few cake crumbs then your cake is ready.If the toothpick has some batter stuck to it keep the tin back in the oven and bake for some more time.
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Brush the top of the cake with milk and put it back in the oven and bake for 2 mins.This gives a shiny look on top of the cake.However this step is optional.But I recommend you to do that.
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Remove the tin from the oven and let it sit for 5 mins.
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Run a sharp knife around the edges of the cake and gently turn it upside down onto a wire rack and let it cool completely,approx 2 hrs.
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Once it is completely cooled,slice the cake into thick slices using a serrated knife.
Serve it with tea/coffee or eat as it is as a snack.
Notes:
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The original recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar,however I followed her recipe and reduced it to 3/4 cup which is right enough quantity of sugar for a tea cake.If you really have a sweet tooth you can add 1-2 tbsp of sugar extra in the cake.
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You can bake the cake plain with out tutti frutti as the original recipe and can decorate with the icing of your choice.
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You can keep it out for 2 days and can be stored for 4 days in refrigerator.Just pop it in microwave for 10-15 seconds if you refrigerate the cake.
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Do not alter the measurements of the cake,these measurements perfectly yields soft and fluffy cake.I have used a cup size which holds 1 cup = 200 gms of sugar or 125 gms of flour for this recipe.
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I like to use vanilla pod in my baking as it adds great flavor to the cake.If you do not get them use good quality vanilla essence.
I have used Saffola oil to prepare this cake. You can use any neutral vegetable oil (canola oiletc) to prepare this.
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This cake makes a perfect base for dessert recipes like Fruit Trifle.
