You Don’t Need a Recipe – All You Need is a Formula !!
Basic formula using weight:
Sugar = flour. (You may reduce the sugar but not by more than 20% or you risk a flop!)
Eggs = Butter (margarine, fat or oil)
Eggs + Liquid (milk, buttermilk or yogurt) = Sugar.
1 teaspoon of baking powder for every 1 cup or 125 g of cake flour (South African) OR substituted with 1/4 tsp baking soda + 1/2 tsp cream of tartar + 1/4 tsp cornstarch.
1/4 teaspoon baking soda for every 250 ml cup or 125 g of flour is used if the recipe has a considerable amount of acidic ingredients such as bananas, chocolate or buttermilk etc.
Don’t forget the 1/2 teaspoon salt as a flavor enhancer.
Example for a Chocolate cake: Subtract 27.5 % from the weight of flour and replace it with cocoa powder.
For a double layer cake: Weigh your three eggs (large or size 3) in their shells. Take that weight and measure same amount each of sugar, butter and cake flour.
Method:
Step 1: Weigh your 4 large eggs in their shells and take that weight (eggs) and weigh the same amount in butter. Set aside.
Step 2: Weigh the same amount in cake flour and then weigh the same amount in sugar and Set aside.
Note: If you use 3 eggs then you may make up the rest of the weight by adding milk or buttermilk. Example: If 3 eggs weigh 170 g and your sugar weighs 125 g then add an extra 55 g (55 ml) milk to bring the weight equal that of the sugar.
Example:
For Chocolate Cake:
90 g flour
35 g cocoa
125 g sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2.5 ml bicarb
2.5 ml salt
1 egg (60 g)
60 g butter
65 g buttermilk or milk
5 ml vanilla essence to taste
______________________
For Vanilla Cake:
125g flour
125g sugar
1 tsp baking powder
2.5ml bicarb
2.5ml salt
1 egg
60g butter
65g buttermilk
5 ml vanilla essence to taste
__________________________
Basic Sponge Cake for a Double Layer Cake with 1:1:1:1 ratio
Flour = Sugar = Butter = Eggs
Ingredients:
225 g (8 oz) self-raising flour or Cake flour including 9 ml baking powder
225 g (8 oz) butter, at room temperature
225 g (8 oz) sugar
4 eggs – If a little underweight add a little milk or buttermilk to bring to 225 g in weight
Method:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees C or gas mark 4.
Measure all the ingredients into a large bowl.
Mix all of the ingredients using a electric whisk.
Pour the mixture into 2 non-stick 7 inch (18 cm) tins.
Place them in oven until golden brown 15-25 minutes.
Cool on a wire rack before serving.
________________________
SPONGE CAKE FORMULA (No butter) In Baker’s Percentages
Ingredients:
100 g Cake flour or
166 g Sugar
166 g (3 large) Eggs
3 g Salt
Method: (See below)
_______________
Whisked Fairy Light Boudoir Type Sponge Cake (No butter)
Lovely for Trifles – The ideal cake to drizzle with brandy and fill with sweetened strawberries and whipped cream.
Ingredients:
3 large eggs
106 g granulated sugar
119 g cornflour
1 level teaspoon cream of tartar
2.5 ml bicarbonate of soda
10 ml cake flour
Method:
1. Preheat oven 170 degrees Celsius
2. Grease two 20 inch cake tins with plenty butter.
3. Beat eggs and sugar together with electric beater for around 10 minutes (stop half way to prevent motor from burning out) but you MUST make sure you mix it for the full 10 minutes !!
4. Sift dry ingredients and then gently fold into the egg mixture, trying not to knock out the air whilst ensuring it is thoroughly mixed.
5. Divide mixture between two cake pans and place in the oven centered on middle rack.
6. Bake approximately 20-25 minutes or until the tops are golden brown and the cakes are starting to pull away from sides of pans.
7. Remove from oven and run a spatula around the cake edges to loosen before turning out onto a clean tea towel to cool or wire rack to cool. Allow to cool completely.
8. Whip cream until soft peaks form but do NOT over whip or you will need to add more cream to rectify.
9. Assemble the cake, place one sponge on the cake stand. Sprinkle top with brandy, cover with a layer of freshly sweetened strawberries and two thirds (110 ml) of the whipped cream. Use a spatula to spread the cream around evenly.
10. Place the other cake on top and spread evenly with remaining cream, using the spatula to smooth the cream.
11. Top with remaining berries and dust with sugar if desired.
Enjoy!