Sponge Cake | Vanilla Sponge Cake | Basic Cake | Pressure Cooker Cake

2012 is almost retiring and just few hours are left so wanted to bid adieu to 2012 with a sweet note. The year must have been good and must have been bad worse at times too, but my advise is pick the best ones and move forward. As we always know, bad happenings may teach us something but taking it close to heart will not motivate or do no good, so take what you have learnt and throw away the dust. Just thank God for all that he has done for you, a thankful heart gets all that it wants, grab all the happy memories cherish them and take them along with you. Welcome the new year with a happy and warm spirit, with full of new hopes. Wish you all a very happy and prosperous New year. 

After some requests I got from fellow bloggers and readers, decided of posting this sponge cake recipe using a pressure cooker. I just love this cake and would always have it without fuss moreover its the most tastiest and easiest one and the most elegant cake I would say. Just some eggs, flour, sugar and butter would do the magic and give the best tasting and soft cake. Moreover it can be made in a pressure cooker, now you won't need any excuse on making a cake. Just try this simple, fuss free and easy method and delight your family and friends. The texture is so soft and spongy and though being made in a pressure cooker, it will let your family wonder whether it is a bakery bought one. The cake browns evenly like the oven baked cakes and puffs up really well but does not collapse in the center, in case you want to frost the cake just cut the puffed part and then frost it. I made this to celebrate a small and special occasion with my husband and he loved the cake to the core. I did not frost the cake, nor do I like cream cakes so just left it plain. It was a simple celebration and the cake fitted my theme really well, it was a surprise cake for him. After tasting he was delighted and asked me "Hey were did you get this cake from?" and when I explained he was so excited to know it was just an ordinary pressure cooker cake. I had to pull out some from his mouth to click for blog's sake ;). Try this next time and let me know your feedbacks. 

INGREDIENTS

Serves a small cake 
Total Preparation Time - 1 hour 

1. Maida / All purpose flour - 1 cup (200 grams) 
2. Sugar - 1 cup (200 grams) 
3. Milk - 150 ml 
4. Butter - 1/8 cup (50 grams) 
5. Eggs - 2 (At room temperature)
6. Baking powder - 1 tsp
7. Vanilla essence - 1/4 tsp (or pineapple essence) 
8. Salt - 1/8 tsp 

Extras you will need:

1. Pressure cooker (Whistle or regulator not needed)
2. Whisk 
3. Electric hand blender 
4. Wooden ladle 
5. 6 inch wide cake pan 

 

PREPARATION METHOD

• Powder sugar and set aside. You can use granulated sugar too, but powdered sugar works best. Do not use icing sugar here.
• To milk add butter an place on low flame and wait until the butter melts. Stir well and set this aside. 

• Sieve flour, salt and baking powder together 5 times and set aside. 
• Take a bowl and break open eggs and pour into it. Beat well until it turns light and fluffy. It takes just few minutes using an electric hand blender but if you are using a whisk it will take some time. This is the main step that makes the cake spongy. So do not skip, but beat well. 

• Now add the powdered sugar into the bowl and beat well using the hand blender or whisk. This is also another main step that makes the cake fluffy and spongy.  

• Then add the flour, mix slowly and don't beat now (if using a blender don't beat long, use slow speed), use a wooden ladle or a whisk and mix gently until the batter blends well and no lumps are found. 
• Then add the butter and milk mixture and mix well using a ladle. 

• Now add the vanilla essence and stir well again. 
• Grease the inside of a  6 inches pan with butter.  
• Pour the batter into this greased 6 inch pan, do not pour upto the brim, stop when the pan is 3/4th full. (The batter we have prepared will be perfectly enough to fill 3/4th of the pan)
• Now take a pressure cooker and place the separator plate into it and close the cooker with its as shown in the pic. Place this set up on flame and preheat the cooker for about 10 minutes on high flame. Do not place the whistle / regulator, you will not need it. 

• Now open the cooker and place the cake pan with batter carefully on the separator plate and close the lid. (whistle or regulator is not needed throughout the procedure so keep it away)
• Now switch the flame to low mode and cook for 30 to 40 minutes on low flame. Check in between to see if your cake has got cooked. 

• When you smell the cake, it is ready, now remove from flame and set aside. Do not open the lid immediately. Open after 10 minutes. 
• You will find that the cake has puffed up well and would have browned nice and evenly too. 

• Just tap off and the cake would come out easily. But in case if you find difficulty in tapping the cake out, just run a knife through the sides of the cake and tap it out. 
• Leave aside on a wire rack until it cools down. Then cut into pieces and serve.  

TIP 1: Beating the eggs is the most important step. It makes the cake really soft if you beat really well. Also after adding the powdered sugar beat it really well. N=But after adding the flour don't beat using the hand blender, use a whisk or ladle instead. 

TIP 2: I cut off the puffed up end to make it look even. The cake puffs up really well. In case you want to make an icing then leveling the cake, by cutting off the puffed up side is important.  

TIP 3: The cake will give a nice aroma when it is done. This is a basic technique to find out if the cake is done or not. 

TIP 4: To bake the cake in oven make preheat the oven and bake the cake for @ 325 degrees until the cake rises well and when touched should spring back. Also you can try inserting a clean knife or stick into it to see whether the inner has got coked. Do not cook for a longer time this might make the cake dense and rough.

Super soft, spongy and easy Cake is now ready!! Your pressure cooker will marvel you at times!!

Adieu 2012.... Welcome 2013!!!!!!!!

I thank God for all that He hath given me this year and for all that He is still waiting to give me the upcoming year!!

I thank all my family, friends, fellow bloggers and all dear readers and subscribers who have given me enough and more support all through my blogging journey!!

My journey has been blessed by the Lord until now and He has been with me all through. 

And am sure this year will be a Blessed one for all of us!!!

Though there were some thorns among the roses, I take the roses alone and leave all the thorns behind. So leave your worries behind and enter into the new year with new hopes!!! 

Thanks again everyone for being a support!! 

Meet you all next year!!!

Happy New Year Everyone!!