Vanilla Sponge Cake Recipe

My recipe for a soft, light and delicious vanilla sponge cake. You can serve as plain and taste the original flavor. It is also a great base for many creations. Decorate simply for afternoon tea or making a birthday cake or swiss roll at home and everyone will love it.

Makes 2 - 2lb loaf pan (10'' x 6'')

(A)
Egg yolks
• 5, large egg yolks
• 40g sugar
• 40g sunflower oil
• 50g milk
• 10g, 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 100g cake flour, sieved

(B)
Egg whites
• 5 egg whites
• 1 tsp lemon juice or 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
• 90g sugar

Preheat the oven 150°C , always bake with both top and bottom heat with fan assisted. It is best to use an oven thermometer and you'll always have the exact temperature of your oven in mind or no need preheat the oven it's works too. Cut 2- pieces of baking paper to fit the base of a cake pan 10''x 6''.

1) In a large bowl, Add egg yolks, sugar, sunflower oil, milk, vanilla extract, and mix together sieved cake flour. whisk until smooth. Be careful not to over mix!

2) In another clean and dry bowl, whisk egg whites for a second and until foamy then add cream of tartar or lemon juice and adding sugar a little bit at a time until firm to stiff peaks, the peak stands straight up when the beaters are lifted from the mixture about 5 minutes.

3) Carefully folding cake batter into a whites, and mix until incorporated. Pour half of the batter into a separate bowl, combine well.

4) Pour batter into your prepared pan and smooth it out evenly to the edges. Bang the cake pan onto the work surface to remove any air bubbles.

5) To prepare a water bath. Pour enough cold water in a larger pan. Bake in preheated or no need to preheat the oven 150°C for 45 minutes or until the cake is set in the centre. Baking time it will depend on the size of your cake pan. To make sure your cake to succeed even better. It is best to use an oven thermometer and you'll always have the exact temperature of your oven in mind.

6) Once cooked, remove from the oven. Peel off parchment paper and cut into slices to serve.

Helpful Tips:
1) If you going to make only one 2lb loaf, or 6 inch cake pan. You can only used 3 eggs and cut off everything's in half on the above recipe, and the baking time is exactly the same.
2) It's important to follow exactly this recipe and baking at the right temperature. Do not bake the cake quickly at a high temperature and don't remove hot cake out of a baking pan. otherwise the cake could fall apart and crack on top. Baking cake at a lower temperature will help the cake rise much higher and bake more evenly.
3) Please understand that everyone's oven work differently. You should also check the temperature of your oven. if not, your cake won't rise well. 
4) You can test the cake by poking it with a skewer, if it's cooked the skewer will come out clean. if not pop it back in the oven and bake until it's ready. 
5) Folding egg whites into a cake batter. Do not stir and never use an electric mixer. 
6) Use a clean, dry bowl, free of yolk and any other oil or grease while beating egg whites. Do not over or under-beat the egg whites.

Recipe Source: Josephine's Recipes