Vanilla Sponge Cake

Makes one 8" cake. Half quantities for 6".

55g water
50g vegetable oil
20g caster sugar
4 egg yolks
80g cake flour (I substituted with 64g plain flour and 16g cornflour, mixed well)
2g baking powder (I did not bother weighing, I used 1/2 tsp)
1 tsp vanilla paste

4 egg whites
65g caster sugar
Pinch of cream of tartar


1. Preheat oven to 180 degree celsius (I found it worked better at 170 for me) and line bottom of tin with greaseproof paper.

2. Separate egg whites and egg yolks into 2 mixing bowls

3. Sift flour and baking powder together.

4. In another bowl, beat egg yolks and vanilla paste with the sugar (20g) until sugar dissolves. Slowly mix in the oil and water, stirring till well mixed.

5. Stir in flour gently till the mixture is well mixed.

Egg white portion
6. In a clean and dry bowl, whisk egg whites till frothy and add in cream of tartar. Whisk till almost soft peak.

7. Add sugar gradually and whisk till firm peaks.

8. Fold 1/3 of meringue into the egg yolk mixture. Then pour the lightened egg yolk mixture into the remaining egg white and gently fold till well-incorporated.

9. Pour the batter into the cake tin. Smoothen the surface and gently tap the tin on the tabletop to release the air bubbles inside.

10. Bake on the middle shelf for about 35-40 minutes. Cake is done when inserted skewer comes out clean.
(Try not to open the oven door during the first 20 min otherwise the cake will deflate. If cake top browns, cover with aluminium foil)

11. Remove cake from the oven and immediately leave it inverted on cooling rack till it is cool.

12. When cake is cooled, frost the cake and sandwich layers with whipped non-dairy whipping cream. Decorate as you wish. Keep refrigerated.