Annie Rigg's Brilliant Basic Birthday Cake Recipe

Preheat the oven to 180ºC/ 350ºF/ Gas Mark 4. Cream the butter and sugar in a mixer or with a handheld whisk until light and fluffy, about 2–3 minutes. Gradually add the beaten eggs, mixing well between each addition. Stir in the vanilla extract. Sift together the flour and baking powder and add to the mixture in two batches, mixing until smooth. Add the milk and mix.

For a basic chocolate sponge, substitute four tablespoons of cocoa for the four tablespoons of the plain flour in the Extra Large Sponge recipe, three tablespoons in the Large and one in the Small recipe. For lemon or orange, substitute the grated zest of an unwaxed lemon or orange for the vanilla extract.

Cream the butter in an electric mixer or in a large bowl with a handheld electric whisk until it is very soft. Gradually beat in the icing sugar until the mixture is pale and smooth. Add a few drops of vanilla extract, if using.

Melt the chocolate and butter together in a heatproof bowl and set over a pan of barely simmering water (do not let the bowl touch the water). Stir until smooth, then set aside to cool slightly. In another bowl, whisk together the milk, vanilla extract and icing sugar until smooth. Add the chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Leave the frosting to set and thicken slightly.

Beat the egg white and the lemon juice together in a bowl until mixed together thoroughly. Gradually add the icing sugar until the icing is smooth and has the consistency of slightly thickened double cream. Keep covered with clingfilm until ready to use.