How to make a basic sponge cake

Ingredients, this is for an Extra Large cake, preheat oven to 180c or gas mark 4. For chocolate cake substitute plain flour for cocoa XL - 4 tablespoons L - 3 tablespoons S - 1 tablespoon

Cream the butter and sugar until pale light & fluffy with an electric mixer

Gradually add in the eggs, mixing well between each

Add flavouring, ive used vanilla

This is the vanilla flavouring i used, but any flavour can be added

Add in the flour & baking powder in two batches, mixing until smooth

I lined my cake tin with this so the cake will slide out easier

8inch square tin

I put mine just above the bottom of the oven,

There is no specific time to bake this cake, mine has now been in for 50mins and its still not quite ready

I used my cake tester, and it didn't come out clean (no cake mix stuck to it)

1hr 15mins later, take the cake out of the oven & let cool in tin for about 10 mins or until the tin is cool enough to handle

Tip cake out onto a cooling rack to cool completely before icing

Trim the cake

Cut cake in half

Im cheating, not making my own filling

Spread out the buttercream after this step

Ive put the butter cream all over the cake so the icing will stick, put in the fridge for about 10 mins to stiffen the buttercream

I used a block icing, rolled it out flat and covered the cake

End result after adding the icing

Two tier result with this recipe! 10inch & 6inch round cake tins