Vanilla sponge cake

200g (7oz) self-raising flour
3 level teaspoons baking powder
115g (4oz) sugar
140ml (5floz) vegetable oil
310ml (11floz) cold water
2 teaspoons vanilla essence

Preheat oven to 190ºC/375ºF/gas 5.

Place all ingredients in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Divide the mixture between two well-greased round tins.

Bake for 30 minutes or until a cocktail stick inserted into the middle of the cake comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes, turn out and allow to completely cool.

Sandwich the cakes together with a layer of strawberry jam and dust the top with icing sugar. Serves 8.

Optional:

Make vanilla-flavour ‘butter’ icing using 115g/4oz of sieved icing sugar, 55g/2oz vegan margarine and 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla essence. Layer on top of the jam before sandwiching the cakes.