Q&A for How to Make a Plain Cake

About 15 minutes to make the dough and 25 to 30 minutes to cook for an oven preheated at 160 degrees Celsius (320 Fahrenheit).

Vanilla essence is also called vanilla extract. It is food-safe alcohol that has had vanilla beans soaking in it. It is generally not diluted, so you only need a tiny bit. The alcohol will burn off in the oven, so it is safe for children.

You cannot make cakes in the microwave oven unless you have a special recipe designed for that purpose. Otherwise, the cake will not be baked properly. There will be hot spots and other places where the cake is raw, or it may even explode in the microwave, creating a terrible mess.

Repeat this process five times (to make five separate cake layers) and stack the cakes on top of each other with a thin spread of icing between each. Then, frost the cake and decorate it.

2 tablespoons off butter at room temperature is good enough.

Yes, this cake can be iced or frosted.

No. Icing sugar is more finely ground and works differently than caster sugar. Don't substitute them for each other.

Cut it through the middle, then add whipped cream all around the center before putting the top bit back on. Or you can make a vanilla cake that is white.

It depends on the recipe. Each recipe will include a baking time.

Not necessarily, though your sponge will be lacking in flavor if you don't. However, you can add any flavor to your cake!

No, white eggs or brown eggs are fine. They don't make a difference.

You could make it without the cocoa powder and vanilla extract, but the baking powder is necessary if you want your cake to rise.

It depends what kind of cake. For a small cake you can.

Yes, you can. Use only half a teaspoon as it is very salty and effective.

You don't need to have them, but it will be better if you use one of each. You can customize it to your personal preference.

In baking, using margarine instead of butter is possible, but the dessert won't turn out the way you want it. You can use oil as a substitute instead.

There are tons of cake recipes on the internet. Try a search for "simple cake recipe".

You will not be able to bake your cake on a gas range. You will have to use an oven, so try to find access to one of those for this particular project.

Adding it in with your dry ingredients (not into something liquid or something with liquid) is generally how adding baking powder works. Always check your recipe, though.

Depends on the cake, but normally 40 - 45 minutes. You can always take the cake out of the oven after the 40-minute mark and stick a toothpick or skewer into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, the cake is done; if not, put it back in the oven for 5 minutes and re-check.

You could split the recipe in half and use a smaller cake pan (cook time will be reduced).

You can, but it may mess up the taste and the consistency of the cake so it is not recommended.

Yes, powdered sugar makes the cake batter more fine which results in a very smooth cake.

Yes, you can add whatever type of layer you want to customize your cake to your liking.

Yes, you can use food coloring to make the color change in a cake.

It shouldn't be too hard. There are pictures and step-by-step instructions after all.

No. The yeast must be activated and given time to prove in order for the cake to rise. Baking powder causes a double-raising action to give the cake batter an instant rise when it hits the heat of the oven, so yeast and baking powder are not interchangeable.

1.5 kg should be more than enough, though if you are making a dough it will probably take more.

This looks like it was made in a round 9x9 pan, so it should make about 8 slices.

It is up to you. Whatever colors you like, you can buy that colored cream and dress the cake.