Delicious Sponge Cake Recipe

Delicious Sponge Cake Recipe

Sponge cake (or yellow cake) is a soft, spongy, and delicious cake with a brownish outer surface and a whitish inner surface. This is made with lots of eggs, sugar, and flour, and I’ll be walking you through the sponge cake recipe.

Equipment for Making Sponge Cake

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WhiskYesGet ItGet ItGet It
Wooden spoonYesGet ItGet It
Baking panYesGet ItGet It
Parchment paperYesGet ItGet It

Ingredients for Making Sponge Cake

1 cup of flour
3 tablespoons of milk (optional)
3 tablespoons of oil
4 eggs
¼ cup of sugar
¼ cup of butter
½ tablespoon of vanilla essence

Procedures for Preparation of Sponge Cake

STEP 1: Crack your eggs and separate the yolks from the whites in different bowls.

STEP 2: Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350F.

STEP 3: In your bowl of yolks, give this a whisk and add milk, oil, and vanilla essence.

STEP 4: Gradually sift the flour into the bowl and give it a stir. Mix until well incorporated and set this aside.

STEP 5: In the bowl of whites, using a hand mixer, beat for 20 minutes from medium to high until it begins to foam.

STEP 6: Add in sugar and continue beating till stiff peaks. Here, you see the egg whites looking thick, creamy, and white.

STEP 7: Now add this to the bowl of yolks. Fold it in and mix.

STEP 8: Get the clean baking pan. It’s time to bake this sponge cake recipe.

STEP 9: Grease the pan with butter and add parchment paper to the sides and bottom of the pan. You may also dust with flour after greasing.

STEP 10: Pour the batter into the prepared pan. Do not fill to the brim to avoid pouring while baking.

STEP 11: Bake for 25–30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle of the pan. Do not open the oven while baking.

STEP 12: Remove from the oven using a hand glove or mittens.

STEP 13: Allow it to cool for 5–10 minutes or place it on a rack for easy air ventilation.

STEP 14: Enjoy!

Recipes that Best Goes with It

Sponge cake goes with ice cream, milkshakes, and, of course, soft drinks like Coca-Cola, etc.

How to Serve Sponge Cakes

Sponge cake should be served to friends, loved ones, and family immediately as it cools off. You can also enjoy sponge cakes with these 3 different ways of making chocolate sauce.

Occasion to Serve Sponge Cakes Best

This delicious sponge cake recipe can be served any day, anytime, and anywhere. It could serve as a lunch box for kids, birthday parties, or after-party snacks.

Nutritional Value of Sponge Cakes

This snack is packed with benefits such as low calories when eaten, a good source of energy, and, of course, the unique flavors in your kitchen.

How to Store Sponge Cake

Store in the freezer for 2–3 days. I suggest you wrap before storing and also consume within a day. Enjoy!

Conclusion

Are you in the kitchen already? Whisk up this recipe and tell us how you made this soft, fluffy, spongy, and delicious sponge cake recipe. Be sure to let us know when you do in the comment section.

FAQs

Can I use butter or margarine for my sponge cake?

With margarine, you get a softer and more fluffy texture in cakes than with butter. Butter has a great taste and smell but it makes cake dense and dries out the moisture. Margarine should be your go-to when making this sponge cake.

What is the difference between regular cake and sponge cake?

A very good difference between regular cake and sponge cake is that the latter is made with lots of eggs, while the former contains baking powder or baking soda.

What is the difference between butter cake and sponge cake?

Butter cake relies on butter or margarine and some leavening agents such as baking powder and baking soda, whereas sponge cake relies on the beaten eggs and air that gets into it.

What are the four types of sponge cakes?

These are Swiss roll sponge, Devil’s Food Cake, Forrest sponge cake, Angel Food Cake, and many other types of sponge cakes.

What is the secret to sponge cake?

The secret to sponge cake is in its texture, the eggs, and the absence of leavening agents like baking soda and baking powder. In sponge cake, the leavening agents are in the eggs and the air is gotten from beating them using the mixer. Sponge cakes are soft, light, fluffy, and airy, and this is a result of beating egg whites.

How to Make Banana Bread in 12 Easy Steps

How to Make Banana Bread in 12 Easy Steps

Do you ever get bored of the same old bakery bread? Do you ever want to try something new with bread? If this thought has run through your mind, then how to make banana bread recipe is for you!

Too often, I find bread to be bland and I tend to crave something new and interesting. Sometimes, I opt for sponge cake, cupcakes, or something sweet at the very least. In this article, I’ll be sharing with you how to make the moist and delicious banana bread recipe for friends and family and, most of all, for yourself. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy this recipe.

Equipment for Making Banana Bread

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Kitchen scaleYesGet ItGet It
Baking panYesGet ItGet It
Wooden spoonYesGet ItGet It
Mixing bowlYesGet ItGet It

Ingredients for Making Banana Bread

2-3 overripe bananas
½ teaspoon baking soda
76g of melted butter
A pinch of salt
150g of sugar
1 egg
1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
205g of flour
80g of plain yogurt (optional but this adds moisture to the bread)
Nuts (your choice but optional as it gives it a crunchy taste)
1 cup of chocolate chips (optional)

Procedures for Making Banana Bread

STEP 1: Before you put your hands to work, preheat the oven to 350F and butter your baking pan. A small baking pan is more than okay for this.

STEP 2: Now, let us get you started on how to make banana bread.

STEP 3: In a mixing bowl, mash your bananas using a fork until completely smooth.

STEP 4: Add melted butter into the bowl.

STEP 5: Add baking soda and salt.

STEP 6: Again, add in sugar, an egg, and vanilla extract. If you’re using yogurt, add it in.

STEP 7: Lastly, add flour, nuts, and chocolate chips (if you will be using them) and mix them in.

STEP 8: Get your pan and pour the batter into it.

STEP 9: Bake for 50 minutes to an hour after placing the pan into the middle of the oven at 350F

STEP 10: Bake until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

STEP 11: Take out of the oven using a mitten and allow it to cool for a few minutes.

STEP 12: Now, remove the bread from the pan and let it cool completely before serving.

STEP 13: Using a knife, slice and serve.

How to Serve Banana Bread Recipe

Now that you know how to make banana bread, how do you serve it? Slice and serve your banana bread as breakfast and dessert along with fruits such as strawberries, raspberries, and jam. Another way of enjoying this recipe is along with fruit juice such as orange, or apple, or serve with toppings like peanut butter, Nutella or chocolate drizzle, or even caramel drizzle.

Occasions to Serve Banana Bread Recipe Best

Banana bread recipe is mostly eaten over breakfast with friends and family and eaten as dessert to savor something sweet and delicious. You can make this for birthdays, Eid celebrations, and even on special days to share with loved ones.

How to Store Banana Bread Recipe

Place your loaf of bread in a plastic wrap and store it in an airtight container. You can store it for up to 2-3 days.

Nutritional Value of Banana Bread Recipe

Whether you’re making your banana bread recipe at home or buying it online, it can be a health bomb or a health attack. Banana bread recipe has been proven to be packed with proteins, energy-boosting, and contains fats but healthy fats.

Conclusion

This recipe is not only delicious but moist and sweet and the ingredients on how to make banana bread are most definitely lying around in your pantry/store at home. When you go to the market, be sure to buy some bananas so you can make them at home. Be sure to let us know in the comment section when you make some.

FAQs

What is the difference between banana loaf and cake?

Banana bread is made just as above, it is dense and banana is used while the cake is made with banana as the main ingredients. Here, banana bread was used mostly as a flavor and taste.

Do I need a mixer for my banana bread recipe?

No, you do not need a fancy mixer to whip this recipe up. A simple bowl, a fork, or a whisk is all you need.

Do I fill the batter to the brim of the pan?

No, fill the pan halfway and never to the brim of the pan. If you by chance have excess, use another pan to bake it.

Why is my banana bread hard?

In baking, mistakes such as overmixing batter can happen. Instead of mixing when you add in ingredients, add all the ingredients in a bowl and give it just a mix instead of adding one at a time and mixing when you do.

Why is my banana bread brown?

This is because you added too much baking soda. Too much baking soda increases the alkalinity or basicity of your batter. Remember to use just ½ teaspoon of your baking soda.

10 Surprising Foods That Are Bad for Your Breath (No. 5 Will Shock You)

10 Surprising Foods That Are Bad for Your Breath (No. 5 Will Shock You)

You have probably taken several measures to avoid bad breath, including regular brushing, flossing, rinsing with a mouthwash, and many others, but it all does not seem to be working. The culprit could be right under your nose – the food you eat! Here, we are going to look at some of the foods that cause bad breath and what to do regarding them.

Foods That Causes Bad Breath

1. Garlic

This is usually the first food to come to mind when this topic is mentioned.

This is usually the first food to come to mind when this topic is mentioned. From experience, most of us have tasted a meal containing garlic and we must have noticed people’s reactions to us when we speak shortly after. And while it adds a good flavour and even taste to food, the aftermath is usually disturbing.

After enjoying your meal containing garlic, it gets absorbed into your bloodstream and makes its way to your lungs; so apart from the odour resulting from chewing the garlic, an additional one will be released from your lungs and through your mouth whenever you breathe out.

 2. Onions

One of the foods that cause bad breath is onions.

One of the foods that cause bad breath is onions. Onions are widely used worldwide for their taste as well as nutritional and health benefits. However, along with garlic, it is considered to be among the top causes of halitosis, a fancy word for bad breath. I personally love onions to the moon and back, so getting rid of them completely from my meals might be a very difficult thing to do.

The good news is that you can avoid the bad breath that comes along with eating it by, cooking it a little bit longer than you normally do.

It’s easy, right?

 3. Coffee

Coffee has caffeine as one of its constituents, and caffeine has an effect on saliva production.

You might have experienced some level of dryness in your mouth after taking coffee a number of times before. Coffee has caffeine as one of its constituents, and caffeine has an effect on saliva production.

The decrease in saliva that results from drinking coffee means there will be more accommodation for odour-causing bacteria in your mouth.

 4. Canned Fish

Yes, canned fish is among the foods that cause bad breath.

Yes, canned fish is among the foods that cause bad breath. When seafood begins to oxidize as a result of storage, it tends to become sour.

Eating this without brushing your mouth afterwards might likely leave you with a stinking breath.

 5. Protein

Protein is also among the foods that can cause bad breath, as eating too much of it and too little carbohydrates

Proteins form a very important part of our meals due to their body-building qualities. Nevertheless, it is also among the foods that can cause bad breath, as eating too much of it and too little carbohydrates will lead to the production of an unpleasant smell, known as ketone breath. This occurs when the body resorts to using proteins and fats as fuel due to a shortage of carbohydrates.

Unfortunately, this smell cannot be masked by brushing and/or flossing, so it is best prevented by avoiding excess proteins in your diet and taking adequate water.

 6. Sugar

Apart from the white sugar we all know, carbohydrate foods are also converted to sugar in our bodies after eating. A lot of us cannot do without sugar in our meals and beverages. The sugar debris that remains in our mouths after having that sumptuous pounded yam or rice meal or even after licking sweets can encourage the growth of odour-causing bacteria because they feed on it to survive.

Apart from the white sugar we all know, carbohydrate foods are also converted to sugar in our bodies after eating. A lot of us cannot do without sugar in our meals and beverages. The sugar debris that remains in our mouths after having that sumptuous pounded yam or rice meal or even after licking sweets can encourage the growth of odour-causing bacteria because they feed on it to survive.

Therefore, cutting down on your sugar intake and maintaining very good dental hygiene can keep you safe from the embarrassment that might result.

7. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are acidic in nature and this is just what odour-producing bacteria need to thrive.

Tomatoes are acidic in nature and this is just what odour-producing bacteria need to thrive. Whether you eat the fruit raw in your salads or as a sauce for your rice or yam, try as much as possible to drink an adequate amount of water to reduce the acidity, then you can brush afterwards.

8. Peanut butter

Rinsing with mouthwash after consuming peanut butter can help keep your breath fresh.

This is a paste made from ground dried peanut and spread on bread, toast, crackers and even sandwiches. Its thick nature makes it difficult for saliva to break down so it could stay for hours in your mouth and ultimately cause bad breath.

Rinsing with mouthwash after consuming peanut butter can help keep your breath fresh.

9. Cheese

Whenever you eat cheese, the bacteria in your mouth will act on amino acids contained in the cheese to produce sulfur compounds that can give you bad breath.

Whenever you eat cheese, the bacteria in your mouth will act on amino acids contained in the cheese to produce sulfur compounds that can give you bad breath.

This can make your mouth smell like rotten eggs! I am sure you wouldn’t want that. Drinking enough water, flossing and brushing with s fluoride toothpaste can do the trick.

10. Citrus fruits

t is not new knowledge that citrus fruits are acidic.

It is not new knowledge that citrus fruits are acidic. You must have experienced this yourself after tasting some —especially before it is completely ripe. The acid provides a comfortable environment for the bacteria to survive and trouble you with bad breath. This occurs especially when you are suffering from acid reflux conditions like peptic ulcer disease.

Reducing your intake of citrus, chewing sugar-free gum or candy and generally maintaining s good mouth hygiene can protect your breath from going sour.

Conclusion

Now that you know some of the foods that can cause bad breath, I hope you will also share the knowledge with your friends and save them the confusion and embarrassment that comes with it.

Do you know of any other food of a similar category? Please do let us know in the comments section; would love to hear from you.

3 Different Ways of Making Chocolate Sauce

3 Different Ways of Making Chocolate Sauce

You only need a few ingredients to make your own chocolate sauce/syrup at home and it tastes just as better as the one you buy from the stores. So, what are you waiting for? Try making something new this weekend!

This chocolate recipe gives you a sweet, smooth, goo-ey, and chocolat-ey taste – this is the chocolate sauce you should try at home.

How to Make Chocolate Sauce?

There are different ways to making this chocolate sauce but there are no fancy ingredients – just sugar, cocoa powder, and a few more that is most probably in your pantry. Isn’t that amazing?  I’ll be sharing with you four different ways to make this delicious and addicting recipe chocolate sauce.

Chocolate Sauce Recipe I

In making this chocolate sauce, a little bit of work and attention will be given to the pot for a while as you keep stirring so as to avoid burning and ending up with zero results and a messy work area.

Ingredients for Chocolate Recipe I

¼ cup of cocoa powder.

¾ tablespoon of sugar or more.

A pinch of salt.

1 cup of water.

½ teaspoon of vanilla extract.

Procedures for Chocolate Recipe I

  • In a bowl, sieve cocoa powder and sugar together to remove all lumps and traces of dirt.
  • Mix till well combined.
  • In a pan over medium heat, add in water and salt.
  • Pour in the cocoa mixture and bring to a boil till sugar is completely dissolved. Give this a stir.
  • Allow to cook till it begins to thicken.
  • Reduce heat and leave to simmer. Stir constantly.
  • Remove from heat, add in vanilla extract.
  • Stir this and let it cool.
  • Transfer this to a container or a jar. Tada. This is how to make a chocolate sauce but optimum attention is required here.
  • Refrigerate if needed.

Chocolate Sauce Recipe II

The method in how to make this chocolate sauce is different from the first. In this one, there is a twist which is the incorporation of flour. This is to give it a thick texture and a glossy look, the same job as the butter.

Ingredients for Chocolate Recipe II

¼ cocoa powder

2 teaspoons of flour

2 pinch of salt

1 cup of milk.

2 teaspoons of sugar

2 tablespoons of butter

½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

Procedures for Chocolate Recipe II

  • In a bowl, sieve cocoa powder, flour, salt, and sugar to remove lumps and traces of dirt.
  • Give this a mix.
  • In a pot over medium heat, add in a cup of milk and butter.
  • Allow to melt and dissolve completely.
  • Add in vanilla extract.
  • Give this a stir.
  • Add the cocoa mixture to the pot and stir again.
  • Cook on low heat for 5 minutes till it begins to thicken.
  • Turn off heat when thick.
  • If too thick, add more milk and if too thin, cook for 2-3 more minutes for perfect consistency.

Chocolate Recipe III

This is the simplest and easiest method on how to make a chocolate sauce as you won’t overwork yourself or even be in the kitchen. You could do this over the counter or in the dining area. Let’s get to the ABC method.

Ingredients for Chocolate Recipe III

1 cup of icing sugar

2 tablespoons of cocoa powder

½ teaspoon of vanilla extract

3 tablespoons of milk

Procedures for Chocolate Recipe III

  • In a bowl, add in a cup of icing sugar.
  • Add cocoa powder and vanilla extract.
  • Give this a mix.
  • Add in the milk but spoon after spoon so you can mix this gradually till you get a perfect combination.

Chocolate Sauce Recipe IV

This is another simple method as you’ll only need chocolate bars! It’s pretty easy to make this chocolate sauce.

Ingredients for chocolate recipe IV

Chocolate bars

Butter

Milk (optional)

Procedures for Chocolate Recipe IV

  • In a pot over heat, add in water and leave to boil.
  • Turn off heat.
  • Crush or break chocolate bars.
  • Pour these bars into a bowl that can withstand heat.
  • Place this bowl over the top of the pot and allow the heat to penetrate the bowl so as to melt the chocolates.
  • Add in butter as it begins to melt.
  • Add in milk if you wish to.
  • Give this a stir.

Recipes That Goes With Chocolate Sauce

Indulge yourself with this sweet sauce as you drizzle over pancakes, waffles, and even brownies. This sauce can even be eaten with doughnuts or used as a filling. In addition, this can be spread over bread, cakes, cupcakes, and ice cream.

Ways to Serve

The chocolate sauce should be served cold.

Occasions to Serve Best

This sauce can simply be made any day to enjoy and relax. It can be eaten with other confectionaries for lunch and dessert.

Health Benefits of Chocolate Sauce

Chocolate sauce is mostly made out of cocoa powder which is gotten from the cocoa bean. Cocoa beans have antioxidants also known as flavanols which have been proven to help lower inflammation and blood pressure. In addition, they help in improving blood flow to the heart and in blood clotting.

How to Store?

Simply pour this sauce in a jar or a container and refrigerate.

Conclusion

Ta-Da! That’s your own homemade chocolate sauce right there in 4 different ways. Everyone loves chocolate, for breakfast, lunch, snacks, and even dinner. I suggest you try this over bread and in doughnuts. Enjoy!

Comment below when you make this or intending to!

You could also check on 2 different ways of making your caramel sauce.

6 Natural Ways to Avoid Diabetes

6 Natural Ways to Avoid Diabetes

The increasing rate of diabetes is alarming, resulting in about 1.6million death yearly, with its major percentage amongst developing countries, Nigeria included. Both young and old can be a victim. Therefore, how to prevent diabetes is the question asked by the majority, because the aftermath of diabetes when not treated gives rise to other detrimental diseases. Such as blindness, kidney failure, stroke, damaged nervous system, heart attack, and amputation of the lower limb.

However, before we look at how to prevent diabetes, it’s best we understand what diabetes is all about, its types, and likewise, what causes it.

What is Diabetes?

Diabetes is a metabolic disease also known as diabetes mellitus. This occurs when the body’s glucose or sugar is high. It all begins with the inability of the pancreas to produce enough insulin. Responsible for transporting glucose from the body to the cell to be used as energy or stored. Likewise, when the body experiences difficulty in using the insulin produced effectively. The two-process leads to the accumulation of sugar in the body resulting in diabetes.

What Causes Diabetes?

Medically, the main cause of diabetes stems from damaged insulin in charge of regulating body sugar. As the body’s immune system fights infection and other diseases bacteria and viruses attack the insulin and when it weakens it becomes difficult to transport sugar.

Obvious symptoms include blurred vision, fatigue, increased thirst, frequent urination, and infections.

Types Of Diabetes

1. Type I diabetes

The inability of the pancreas to produce insulin causing high storage of glucose in the body. Type I diabetes affects more children and young adults. 

2. Type II Diabetes

This occurs when the body resists insulin. Whereby, it fails to use produced insulin efficiently, causing glucose to build up in the bloodstream. However, type II diabetes affects adults above 45years.

3. Gestational Diabetes

This type of diabetes is common amongst pregnant women. Experience when insulin blocks hormones during pregnancy, the aftermath is the accumulation of sugar in the body. Affects both the mother and child.

How to Prevent Diabetes

1. Minimize Sugar Intake

A high intake of sugar and sugary products such as; chocolates, candies, yoghurts, sugary soda drinks, and ice cream boosts the likelihood of diabetes. Most especially when the body cell becomes resistant to insulin’s actions.

Glucose broken down from that food is unable to circulate across the cell, hence, is absorbed into your bloodstream.

2. Maximize Fiber Intake

Fibre products do the opposite of surgery products. Instead of increasing the body sugar, it helps keep the blood sugar and insulin low. Also, can be used to keep one’s weight in check. Preferably insoluble fibre which doesn’t absorb water. The more natural and unprocessed a food product is the higher its fibre content.

Foods with high fibre include; pear, strawberries, barley, avocado, carrots, nuts, peas, beans, potatoes, wholegrain, and wheat. 

3. Avoid Smoking

How to prevent diabetes also entails abstinence from smoking. It contains carbon monoxide (CO) which replaces oxygen in the blood, making other organs starved of oxygen.

Smoking leads to heart disease, cancer of the breast, lungs, and likewise prostate. However, research has proven that about 60% of smokers have a high risk of diabetes.

4. Engage More in Exercise

Effective work-out increases the function of insulin. The more sensitive your insulin becomes to glucose, it will be able to transport glucose from the blood to the cells. Likewise, those living with abdominal fat can also employ exercise methods to burn out fast. This is essential as abdominal fat increases inflammation and causes the body to resist insulin.

Other methods of losing abdominal fat are; healthy diet, reduced alcohol intake, and aerobics exercise.

5. Natural Herbs Helps Prevent Diabetes

They are categories of natural herbs which are used to increase insulin sensitivity to carry out its function of sugar regulations effectively. Also, decreased fats, support digestion, improves blood glucose level and concentration.

These herbs include aloe vera, bitter melon, ginger, cinnamon, and fenugreek.

6. Take in Lots of Vitamin D

The level of vitamin D in the body determines the amount of sugar absorbed by the body and transported to cells. One of the roles of vitamin D in the body is to strengthen the insulin when damaged by bacteria and viruses.

Sources of vitamin D are fatty fish, cod liver oil, egg yolk, mushrooms, and sunlight.

Final Words

How to prevent diabetes should be preferred above its treatments which are demanding. You shouldn’t wait until you experience its symptoms or when diagnosed with diabetes before applying preventive measures. It’s advisable to include the above methods as part of your routine. These healthy habits in turn will boost your immune system to fight other harmful diseases.

Also, share with us how this post was helpful to you in the comment section below.

6 Natural How to Prevent Diabetes