ETA – This is my 100th recipe of this year! One of the biggest achievements for me this year – considering how I neglected this blog over the last three years 🙂 Here’s to many more recipes! Today is my dear husband S’s birthday 🙂 Although he doesn’t like to make a big deal of his birthday or to celebrate it in any way, I would take the opportunity to make it special every year. Last year, we were on a trip and I missed making a cake. We both are not very fond of the store bought cakes or pastries – especially the large sized ones. We settle for a small piece of a cake but that doesn’t count as a birthday cake, does it? This year I wanted to make a cake for him and had been planning it since a day. I was particularly looking for an eggless cake recipe given the fact that our parents don’t like egg based cakes. Also, I wanted to keep it less chocolaty and hence decided on making a vanilla cake. I found a number of recipes that were supposedly fool-proof – I spent enough time reading through the comments of each of the recipes to know if they really were fool-proof. One such recipe was from Sharmispassions and from the number of people having tried it since the recipe has been up – I knew I found the right recipe. My base cake recipe is from her blog and indeed it was a huge success. I followed her recipe to the T and it turned out perfectly – moist, super soft, crumbly – just as how a sponge cake is supposed to be. May be the next time, I will cook it on lesser temperature as I thought the cake browned a little more than required in the bottom. Nevertheless, this recipe is a keeper for sure. With such minimal ingredients, this has to be one of the easiest cakes one can make at home.
The idea for the honeycomb frosting on top is from Seema’s Amchibong blog. I have always been amazed by Seema’s cooking blog. It’s a little sad that she doesn’t update her food blog anymore. Seema – pls pls get back to blogging 🙂 This honeycomb pattern turned out to be so cool and the tempered chocolate added to the taste of the cake. I used store bought whipping powder to frost the cake and applied the honeycomb chocolate pattern on top. S was surprised to see the cake and my early morning efforts really paid off! 🙂 Here is the recipe for the fail-proof eggless vanilla cake and the frosting.
The oven temperatures and timings differ of different makes of oven. Keep an eye on the cake all the time. I might have to cook it on low temperature as the cake slightly browned in the bottom – no impact to the taste though. Instead of the whipping cream powder, if you can get fresh whipping cream – use it. Any other type of frosting can be used too. Keep the cake refrigerated as fresh cream can melt in room temperature.
PS – I was in a hurry to get the cake done and hence don’t have step wise pictures. Will update the post with the pictures the next time I make it.
