Vanilla Cakes Recipe

Aunt Cora’s cook, Mrs. Dove, was a bit of a tyrant, but she baked delicious cakes for tea in the parlour every afternoon. One of Amelia’s favourites was Mrs. Dove's vanilla sponge – made into pretty little iced fancies. Amelia used to hide a few in her pinafore to share with Effie and her pet bird, Miss Lovington.

To make the vanilla cakes... 
Preheat your oven to 170c / 380f. 
Mix by hand ( like we did ) or with an electric mixer the following, until it looks like sand: 
             120g or 1/2 cup of flour,  
             140g or 2/3 cup of caster sugar,
             1.5 teaspoons of baking powder,
             a pinch of salt
             40g or just less than 1/4 cup of unsalted butter   
Now mix into the dry ingredients an egg, 120 ml or 1/2 cup of milk, and some vanilla extract and beat together. 
Spoon this smooth mixture into pretty paper cups and bake about 20-25 minutes. 

Now you can make the frosting! ... 
Take 200g or 3/4 cup butter, and beat it until it's pale and fluffy. 
Beat in 400g or about 2 cups of icing sugar ( or powdered sugar). Mix this in a handful at a time. 
Use a little milk to thin out the mixture if you need to. 

Now you can decorate with sprinkles, roses, hearts, butterflies and whatever else takes your fancy !