Simple sponge

It’s the beginning of the Summer holidays, time for a few weeks of fun with the children, lots of hungry mouths to feed, possibly even a few extra visitors and (always heard at least ten times a day in our house) cries of ‘I’m hungry!’

This simple sponge cake can be knocked up in a few minutes, cooked in 30 and once cooled a thin layer of icing added. It’s our go to quick recipe when we end up with a few extra mouths to feed, always a winner and all store cupboard ingredients. It’s moist enough to eat without icing and you can always just ice half of the cake to suit all tastes. 

Ingredients 

170g Caster Sugar (granulated is fine if that’s all you have)
170g Margarine or Butter
170g Self Raising Flour
3 Eggs
½ teaspoon Baking Powder
1 tablespoon Milk 

Icing 

125g Icing Sugar
Hundreds and Thousands Sprinkles

Method

Preheat the oven to 180c.

1. Line the bottom of a 22cmx30cm tin with greaseproof paper
2. Cream together the butter and sugar until the mixture is a pale yellow colour. I use a mixer but a wooden spoon and elbow grease works just as well!
3. Add the eggs, flour, milk and baking powder and beat until fully combined. 
4. Pour the mixture into the lined tin.
5. Cook at 180c, medium shelf, for 25-30 minutes until golden brown and springy to the touch.
6. Let the cake cool slightly in the tin then turn out on to a wire rack to cool fully.
7. While the cake is cooling mix the icing sugar with a few drops of  water until it reaches the stiffness of thick paint, it should coat the back of your spoon. Don’t worry about any lumps, keep beating and these will disappear. Add more water a drop at a time or icing sugar to adjust the consistency.
8. Tip the icing over the cake and spread with a pallet knife to smooth it down, it doesn’t have to be perfect.
9. Sprinkle with hundreds and thousands. 

This simple sponge is great as elevenses with a cup of tea, a mid afternoon treat or after dinner. It’s also a good fun recipe to get the children involved with as it’s quick and easy and the children can taste the fruits of their labour almost straight away!

Kirsty Wilson Close

Instagram  kirsty_in_the_kitchen

Food Styling, Food Writing, Food Lover