A classic sponge

Is there a more simple and sophisticated kind of a cake than a sponge? It can be naturally flavoured in many ways - with fruit, liqueurs, chocolate, spices or powders (cocoa or fruit) - and coloured to suit. Or it can be flavoured with vanilla (one of my all time favourites) and filled with an array of boozy creams, frostings, jams or custards.

The recipe here isn't really 'my' recipe as such - it's more of a tried and tested ratio, and it's probably been made millions of times over, by hundreds of thousands of bakers around the world. And if you make it, you'll see why - it's easy and oh so delicious - so I'm writing it down here for you so that you can enjoy it too!

Need a cake for a special occasion to please a crowd? Not many people have the willpower and self-control needed to say no to a slice of decent sponge cake.

I decorated this one with a little spring theme - since there are officially only 23 days of winter left to endure, Spring is feeling wonderfully close. I'm going to conveniently ignore the fact that Spring in Wellington is basically three months of gale force winds thrashing their way around and through my house! Let's think about cake instead...

Try this

Makes one large cake for 10-12 people

Ingredients:

• 200g butter, softened

• 200g caster sugar

• 3 eggs, at room temperature

• 1 tsp vanilla paste (I use Heleila)

• 1/3 cup milk

• 200g plain flour

• 1 ½ tsp baking powder

• 1/2 tsp of salt

Method:

1. Heat oven to 170c. Prepare a 23cm spring-form cake tin by lining the base with a round of baking paper, and spraying bottom and sides generously with oil.

2. Cream together the butter, sugar and vanilla in a mixer with a paddle attachment for a few minutes until light and fluffy. Add the eggs one by one, mixing well between each addition.

3. In a separate bowl combine the flour, baking powder and salt. Add half the flour mixture to the butter, and combine on low speed until incorporated. Repeat with remaining flour.

4. Finally add the milk and mix through well. Add the mix to the tin, and roughly level off then bake for approximately 45 minutes. The cake is done when it's risen, golden-brown and a skewer comes out from the middle covered with only a few small crumbs.

5. Set aside to cool for 10 minutes in the tin on a wire rack. Then carefully remove the cake from the tin, also removing the baking paper. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack covered in a clean tea towel.

Fill or top with whatever you fancy! Best eaten on the day you make it, but it does keep for a few days in an airtight container.