Description
Celebrate a career milestone with this classic vanilla sponge cake, designed specifically for a professional fondant finish. Its moist, tender crumb and sturdy structure make it the perfect centerpiece for a grand retirement send-off.
Ingredients
- 225g soft margarine or unsalted butter, room temperature
- 225g caster sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tablespoons milk
- 225g self-raising flour
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 100g softened butter
- 200g icing sugar
- 500g roll-out fondant icing
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160°C (Gas mark 2.5) and grease and line a deep 23cm round baking tin with greaseproof paper.
- Cream the margarine and caster sugar together in a large bowl until the mixture is pale and very fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and milk together using a fork until well combined.
- Fold the egg mixture and the self-raising flour into the creamed base using alternating spoonfuls, then whisk in the vanilla extract until the batter is smooth.
- Spoon the batter into the prepared tin and bake for 1 hour and 15 minutes, or until a wooden skewer comes out clean.
- Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring it to a wire rack to cool completely.
- Beat the softened butter and icing sugar with a splash of milk to create a buttercream, then coat the top and sides of the cold cake.
- Roll out the fondant on a surface dusted with icing sugar to a 0.5cm thickness, drape over the cake, smooth with a tool, and trim the excess.
Notes
For the smoothest possible finish, ensure your buttercream layer is chilled in the fridge for 20 minutes before applying the fondant. This ‘crumb coat’ creates a firm foundation that prevents any cake crumbs from marring the look of the icing. If you are baking in a warmer climate, consider using a high-quality butter instead of margarine for better stability.
- Prep Time: 35 mins
- Cook Time: 1 hour 15 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: British