Eggless Vanilla Sponge Cake

When I was a kid, we used to distribute chocolates (eclair's, mango-bites etc.) in school. In my daughter's school, they insist on eggless cakes and no chocolates. In fact, the cake should be a plain sponge cake. I have never baked an eggless cake before. I used to believe that eggless cakes are not really cakes :). Now with this mandate from MC's school, i thought of baking cakes (60 pieces) for her Teacher's and classmates for her birthday.

I did a google search on a eggless sponge cake recipe and came across this particular recipe and thought of giving it a try.

It turned out to be one of the most simplest cakes I had baked and it was ready in no time.

The ingredients and the measurements used by me to make a 9 inch cake loaf:

• 2 cups of all purpose flour (maid)
• 60 gms butter (I used Nutralite butter which has no salt)
• 1 tin (400 gms) condensed milk
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 cup + 2-4 tbsp milk
• A pinch of salt (If using a non salt butter)

Bring all the ingredients to room temperature (if they were kept in the fridge e.g. butter, condensed milk).

I prefer covering the working surface with newspapers as it reduces the cleaning work post the baking :). Measure the flour, baking powder, salt (if using) and baking soda. Sift them together three times and keep them aside in a clean and dry bowl.

In a larger bowl which is clean and dry, measure and place the butter. Whisk them with a hand blender for 30 sec till they are light and fluffy and there is no lumps. A hand whisk can also be used. If using the butter directly out from the fridge, microwave it for 10 sec and then whisk the butter. Empty the entire contents of the condensed milk (I use Amul / Milkmaid brand) into the butter along with the vanilla extract. Whisk them for 30 sec till they are incorporated.

Place a rack in the centre of the oven and pre-heat to 180 degree C. I use a convection oven.

In batches add the dry ingredients (sifted flour et. al) to the wet ingredients and add little quantity of the milk. Whisk the ingredients after each addition till they are fully incorporated. Use a wooden / rubber spatula to mix the ingredients, especially through the sides of the bowl. I added the dry ingredients in three batches. I poured some quantity of the milk into the condensed milk tin in order to incorporate some of the condensed milk which was sticking to the bottom of the tin. As we are not adding any sugar, it would be a wise thing to check the batter for taste and if the sweetness is less, either add more condensed milk or powdered sugar. 

I found the batter a little heavy and in order to loosen it up, I added around 4 tbsp of milk and whisked the batter for another minute.

Grease a 9 inch loaf pan with butter (I used Amul butter). Ensure you grease the bottom as well as the sides. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and bang the tin gently on the edge of the working surface in order to smoothen the top. Place it in the oven and set the temperature to 180 degree C and timer to 30 min. Do a doneness check after 20 min by inserting a skewer or tooth prick into the centre of the cake. If the cake is still raw, reduce the temperature to 150 degree C and increase the baking time (Depends on the oven). I noticed that the cake tends to brown quickly on the top however, in the inside it may still be uncooked.

Once the cake is ready, take it out of the oven and quickly run a knife around the edges of the cake tin. Let the cake sit in the pan for 5 minutes. Then gently transfer it on to a cake rack. Once the cake is cooled, wrap it securely in an aluminium wrap and it can be kept out in room temperature for about a week.

I baked over four loaves of this cake over 4 days. As I am a working mother, I had to bake the cakes in batches over few days. In order to save time, I had measured and sifted the dry ingredients before hand. It took just 15 minutes of preparation and another 30 minutes for baking.

Cake ready to be sent to school :)