A perfectly baked sponge is what makes everything right. This light, fluffy even and moist crumb sponge is pure joy to attain. A true baker will understand the depth of this perfect bite of cake. It is thoroughly a sinful dessert!! Agree or disagree?
All my other eggless recipes you must have come across a lot of different options I have tried to replace egg. Like with the chocolate cake it’s oil and water with the balance of baking powder and soda. Some of my eggless cakes demand Condensed milk like the pineapple cheesecake. This eggless sponge is my classic recipe for a flawless sponge.
I use Curd/Yogurt in this cake to keep the cake moist. The baking soda and yogurt react acidically and bubble to form an airy and fluffy sponge just like the handvo recipe. I use full fat milk thick yogurt which helps providing the fat and the acidic medium for the chemical rise. Often buttermilk and vinegar is also a great substitute. Sour cream or whipped cream, milk and vinegar gives a very light and soft sponge too. You will check that in my recipe of banana muffins. Check other recipes with whipped cream.
I change the ingredients as per the flavour and the sponge texture best suited. I have made quite a few experiments and played with various combinations and the best ones are penned down. Sometimes if pro with baking you know exactly what you have and what can be altered as per the recipe demands. The end result should be a delicious, decadent and a moist cake like my chocolate swiss rolls.
Using baking soda and baking powder
Eggless cakes call for both these elements as baking soda includes only one ingredient which is as sodium bicarbonate which helps in rapid rising and baking powder contains the same base as well as acid which helps in slow breaking down and even rising. That’s the reason some recipes call for only baking powder like the brownies because they are not fluffy but fudgy.
However, if you miss any particular agent the only difference you will see is the rising difference and a very slight change in taste. It is ok to miss the baking soda if you have baking powder. But it will be slightly different.
Oil vs butter
Using oil in the cake gives a light and airy texture, a moist and a firm sponge compared to butter cakes. Butter may leave the sponge a bit dense. However, compared to taste butter cakes taste better than oil although post baking oil dosent leave any taste impressions. Oil works excellent in cupcakes though.
Some important points to remember
- Beat the butter/oil and sugar well to make it light and fluffy. This will give a beautiful light texture to your cake.
- Do not over beat the mixture as the cake may sink in the middle.
- Sieve all the dry ingredients separately and then add them little by little to the batter. Cut and fold method helps but an electric beater or a kitchen aid at medium low speed works great too. Maintain the air bubbles created.
- Beating too fast, over beating and not mixing well and give failed results.
- Use excellent quality vanilla bean or vanilla essence.
- The cake might crack at the top when the oven temperature is too high or if the cake is placed in the wrong rack. In such case a water bath or a wet strip over the cake pan can help maintain the temperature and bake evenly.
- Do not use too old baking powder or soda.
- Do not open the oven door frequently as the oven temperature fluctuates and does not give a great output.
Lets get the detailed recipe for a perfect vanilla sponge/cake.
Eggless Vanilla Cake/Sponge
Ingredients
Dry Ingredients
- 1.5 cups All purpose flour/ Cake flour Check notes for cake flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 teaspoon salt Skip if using salted butter
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teasp baking soda
Wet Ingredients
- 1/4 cup Unsalted butter/oil (vegetable or olive) melted
- 1 teaspoon vanilla essence or half vanilla bean scraped
- 1/2 cup Water
- 4 tbsp thick non flavoured yogurt dairy curd or vegan curd
- 1 tbsp Apple cider vinegar or rice vinegar Or 1 tbsp Lime juice
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Sieve all purpose flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.
- Now in a mixing bowl add butter/oil and sugar and beat it at medium high speed. Beat until fluffy and white.
- Now add the vanilla essence and beat once again.
- Now add the dry ingredients slowly to this and beat the mixture until well incorporated.
- Now prepare a 9 inch tin either with a greasing spray or butter and dust with flour. Or just cut a round parchment paper and place it on the bottom of the pan. Cut a stripe of parchement paper and fix it on the walls of the tin.
- Preheat the oven at 360*f , 180*c for 10 minutes.
- In a separate bowl add 4 tablespoon yogurt,add vinegar and 1 tablespoon water and beat to make it smooth.
- Now add 1/2 teaspoon baking soda to the yogurt mixture.The mixture starts bubbling and doubles.
- Now add this mixture to the cake mixture and fold the batter using a spatula. Do not over beat or over fold. Just 9-10 folds to incorporate well.
- Add 1/2 cup of water gradually while folding. At this stage you may add some fruit chunks, tutti frutti or confetti to make variations in the plain sponge.
- Now pour this mixture in the greased pan.
- Tap the pan 2 times to remove the air and even the cake layer.
- Now set the pan in the oven for baking at 360*F or 180*C for 30-35 minutes or until the toothpick turns out clean.
- After the cake is baked take it out and allow it to cool a bit.
- Now invert it on a cooling rock or just pull out the parchment paper gently and invert the cake. Allow it to cool for at least 15-20 minutes.
- The cake is ready to indulge upon if you like just a plain vanilla sponge.
- For icing you will have to cool the cake in a refrigerator for at least an hour. After cooling you may decorate the cake with your choice of whipped cream or buttercream frosting.
- This is a 2 layered basic vanilla sponge decorated with whipped cream frosting.
Notes
- For cake flour remove 3 tablespoon flour from 1.5 cups and add 3 tablespoon of cornflour/cornstarch and mix well. You may simply use plain all purpose flour if you dont have cake flour.
- Butter can be room temperature or melted. Not hot or freezed.
- Make sure to sieve all the dry ingredients.
- Preheating the oven is important. If the oven is preheated for a long time before the cake goes in the cake may sink in. If the oven is overheated the cake make still sink or crack on the top. So maintain the timings and temperature well.
- The ingredients that go in the cake should be fresh. Old Baking soda and baking powder can crack your cake on the top.
- For flavoured sponge like pineapple add pineapple essence instead of vanilla and add fruit chunks same with rose flavour.
- Flavours can be pistachio, tutti frutti, confetti, orange, pineapple etc.
- For chocolate cake refer my link here.
Also check our other popular eggless recipes here
- Eggless red velvet brownies
- Vegan, Gluten free raspberry muffins
- Eggless Banana bread
- Avocado Oatmeal Cookies
- Eggless Chocolate chip cookies
- Eggless mini pineapple cherry cheesecake
- Egg free Ladyfingers
If you like and try this recipe do write reviews in the comment section below.
You can also email me at veggie.bites.2020@gmail.com
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