Vanilla Sponge Cake

Ingredients

• Vanilla Sponge Cake
• Makes 2 thick 8" layer cakes.

Cake

• 4 large eggs (room temperature)
• 2 cups super fine or caster sugar
• 1 cup milk
• 8 Tablespoons butter
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all purpose or cake flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt

Frosting

• 3 tablespoons soft butter
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• few grains salt
• 2 cups sifted icing sugar
• 2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons warm cream or milk

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Prepare two 8" cake pans by greasing with butter and put parchment paper as well.
3. Using a mixer , use a large bowl and whip the eggs on high speed with the whip attachment until foamy, and gradually start adding in your sugar very slowly.
4. While the eggs are beating, which will take about 5 minutes to reach the ribbon stage.
5. Meanwhile, heat your milk and butter together in the microwave or on the stovetop and reserve.
6. Sift your flour and baking powder and salt together in another bowl.
7. At this point you will add in all of the dry ingredients at once to the bowl with the mixer turned off.
8. Next, on low speed mix in the dry mixture. You can gradually go up to a higher speed to make sure it is all incorporated evenly.
9. Next you will prepare a liaison with the milk/butter mixture which means you will take out about 2 cups of the cake batter into a separate mixing bowl, and with a hand whisk add the liquids to that 2 cups of batter.
10. Whisk it all together and then proceed to add this liason to the orginal cake batter that is in the mixer bowl.
11. Add the vanilla extract last and pour into prepared pans.
12. Bake for about 25 minutes at 350 F, then lower the temperature to 325 F to continue baking for 5 to 10 minutes, until done. Cake is done when you press gently in the center and it springs back immediately.

Frosting

1. Cream the butter then beat in the vanilla and a few grains of salt.
2. Blend in the icing sugar alternately with the cream or milk.
3. Beat until smooth and a good piping/spreading consistancy adding more milk or icing sugar if necessary.
4. Spread on cooled cake. Put a layer of frosting between the 2 layers of cake.