Simple Sponge Cake

Ingredients :

125g self-raising flour
125g very soft, unsalted butter
125g sugar
pinch of salt
2 medium eggs
1–2 tspn good quality vanilla essence
½ tsp baking powder
2–3 tbsp milk

Method :

1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/gas mark 6. Whiz everything except the milk in a food processor until blended. Add the milk slowly, whizzing up until you have a smooth, flowing batter.
(Ideally, first make a fluffy paste of butter and sugar. Lightly beat eggs and keep aside. Sieve baking pwd and flour thrice. Instead of using your hand, use a electric beater,whisk,food processor or a mixer for best result.)
2. Prepare a flat cake pan for baking by adding butter and flour. Or to prepare cupcakes place paper cases in cupcake tin. Spoon in the batter.
3. Bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes, then cool on a rack.
You may add raisins to the batter. Boil the raisins for 2 mins, drain and mix some sugar. This avoids the raisins from going to the bottom of the batter.
Chocolate sponge cake
Same as above. Remove 1 1/2 tbsps of flour and add 1 1/2 tbsps of cocoa powder. Add chocolate essence instead of vanilla essence.