how to make cake

Answer 1

To make a basic cake, you will need the following ingredients:

- 2 ½ cups (300g) all-purpose flour
- 2 ½ teaspoons baking powder
- 1 ¾ cups (350g) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (226g) unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 4 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1 ¼ cups (300ml) milk

Optional ingredients for flavor variations:
- Cocoa powder for chocolate cake
- Lemon zest and juice for lemon cake
- 1-2 tablespoons instant coffee for coffee cake

Here are the steps to make the cake:

1. Preheat your oven to 350°F (180°C). Grease and flour two 9-inch (23cm) round cake pans or line them with parchment paper.

2. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour and baking powder. Set aside.

3. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. You can use an electric mixer or do it by hand using a wooden spoon.

4. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract.

5. Gradually add the flour mixture to the creamed butter and sugar, alternating with the milk. Start and end with the flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Do not overmix as it can result in a dense cake.

6. If you want to make a flavored cake, such as chocolate, lemon, or coffee, now is the time to add your desired flavoring. For chocolate cake, add ¼ cup of cocoa powder and mix until fully incorporated. For lemon cake, add the zest of one lemon and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice. For coffee cake, dissolve 1-2 tablespoons of instant coffee in 1 tablespoon of hot water and mix it into the batter.

7. Divide the batter equally between the prepared cake pans.

8. Bake for about 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cakes comes out clean.

9. Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for about 10 minutes, then transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

10. Once cooled, you can frost the cake with your choice of frosting or decorate it as desired.

Enjoy your homemade cake!