Basic Buttercream cake and cupcakes for Beginners

Many of my friends who are new to baking and who have just started using their ovens have been asking for a basic cake recipe. So this simple recipe is especially for those who want to try their hands on baking their first cake ! You cannot go wrong anywhere :)

Materials you need
Springform - 20 cms or 26 cms (the lesser the diameter the more the thickness of the cake)
Electric egg beater
Small weighing machine
A large plastic bowl for mixing the batter.

Ingredients for the sponge cake
Butter - 125 gms
Sugar - 170 gms
Milk - 125 ml
All purpose flour - 250 gms
Eggs (beaten) - 2
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp (you could use any desired flavour)
Baking powder - 2 tsp

Method 
1. Beat the butter and sugar in a large bowl using the electric beater until it forms creamy.

2. Add the eggs slowly to this butter-sugar mixture and keep beating it simultaneously. Add the vanilla essence.

 

3. Beat well again to form a creamy consistency.

4. Sift the flour in another bowl. (This is done to avoid any lumps forming as a result of mixing with other ingredients). Add the baking powder. Mix well.
5. Add the sifted flour to the butter-sugar-egg creamy mixture portionwise alternating with the milk.
Mix well using a metal spoon to form a smooth paste without any lumps.

6. Pour the batter into the greased springform lined with parchment paper (greasing is to apply butter all over the bottom of the springform so that the batter doesnt stick to the bottom after getting baked).
7. Preheat the oven to 180°C and bake the cake for about 30-35 minutes. Take a wodden toothpick and insert it in the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean without anything sticking to it, then the cake is done !
8. The most important step. Do not try to take out the cake immediately after coming out from the oven. Let it rest at room temperature for atleast 15-20 minutes and then take it out. This prevents the warm cake from getting stuck at the corners of the springform and comes out easily.

 Tip : Serve with Tea or Coffee.


Butter cream for decorating the cake

Ingredients
Butter (unsalted)- 60 gms
Icing sugar (sifted) - 60 gms
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Method
1. Beat the butter and icing sugar into a creamy consistency using an electric beater. Add the essence and beat well again for 2 minutes to form a smooth mass.
2. Decorate the cake with the prepared buttercream as desired. Or simply spread it on the cake surface using a knife, sprinkle and garnish with nuts or fruits as desired.
3. If you have a piping bag,  you can do wonders in decorating. Well, that was my first time using a piping bag and i was not so confident about using it properly. Just gave it a try and it was not so bad as i had expected.

The same recipe for the basic cake could be used for serving large number of guests. All you have to do is just double the recipe and pour the batter into a large rectangular tray greased with butter and lined with parchment paper. I had used almond essence and sprinkled with almonds. It was simply delicious. Cut into 30-35 small square pieces ! voila you have baked a cake for a decent gathering with no additional efforts.

or you could decorate the individual pieces with the buttercream and serve. Sky is the limit for your imagination !

or you could fill them in muffin forms lined with parchment paper cups. But the baking time should be reduced to 10-15 minutes ! It serves 24 muffins when you use the original recipe.

Its a perfect and healthy treat for the kids. An ideal recipe for the kids parties :)

Dont panic ! I baked all these varieties on different occasions :)

How to store cakes 
1. You need to always store the cake in an air tight box. With this buttercream decoration, it stays good for 2 days in refrigerator.
2. Otherwise the simple sponge cake stays good for 5-6 days at room temperature.
3. In a freezer, it stays good for a month !

I would like to send this recipe to  Bake-Off hosted by Champa of Versatile Vegetarian Kitchen.
It also goes to the event Dish Name Starts With B by Akila and to bakes and cakes