Foolproof (and non-chocolate) birthday cake recipe needed

[BornToFolk]

DS's 7th birthday is coming up and I need to bake him a cake....but I'm fairly crap at cake making! My one foolproof recipe (Rachel Allen's chocolate cake recipe) has been turned down by DS as being too rich

I tried a plain Victoria sponge one year but it came out like two pancakes.

I need a really, really easy cake recipe please! DS is not too fussy re decorations or anything (I'm getting him a shop bought Minion cake for his party, just need another cake for the family tea)

The Nigella buttermilk birthday cake is easy and forgiving and can be hacked about into shapes etc quite easily. You could do a rectangular shape and cut a seven out for extra brownie points!

www.maryberry.co.uk/recipes/baking/lemon-drizzle-traybake

This is really easy to make and you could leave out the lemon rind (and do different icing) to make it a plain sponge type cake. Chuck all in bowl, mix and put in oven.

I use a basic recipe for cake and buns and it always comes out lovely.

175g caster sugar
175g self raising flour
125g butter
2 medium eggs
5table spoons milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking powder

Cream sugar, butter and vanilla till light and fluffy.
Beat in eggs and milk.
Fold in flour and baking powder.
Pour into greased and lined cake tin and bake on gas mark 5 for about 15-20 minutes until golden and a skewer in the middle comes out clean.

I usually make two and sandwich together with butter icing and cover with fondent or buttercream depending on what mood I'm in or if I'm making a design for the kids.

Its a light sponge so wouldn't take a lot of icing or being stacked as it would sink.

That Nigella one looks good! What kind of tin should I use? The recipe says a 23cm ring mould...are those the ones that look like a giant Polo? Can I just use one (or two?) standard tins. I think I have 18cm ones...

I've never used polo tins! I know what you mean but assumed normal round tins were ok. That's what I use and just keep checking for cooking time as she gives quantities for a big cake that takes a bit more baking.

It cuts easily this cake so you could do one deep one and slice in half if that's the tin you have.