Nigerian Cake
Technically, there is no such thing as a Nigerian cake as there is no formula or recipe for creating these cakes. Each baker or mother has his or her own way of baking this cake, often without a recipe. It is thus not uncommon not to know how the cake would turn out until it is ready and out of the oven. Growing up as a kid in Nigeria, Christmas was always the time when my mum baked cakes. While some were amazing, some were, well, less than amazing. It was all a question of luck! In this post, I have attempted to give a working recipe for a standard Nigerian cake. I must however confess that I have upgraded this cake a notch by using some ingredients like butter. I have also addressed some common myths about making Nigerian cakes.
Bundles of Aso Oke Cake made with Nigerian Cake
For a recipe on how to make the Nigerian style wedding cake, click here.
INGREDIENTS:
(1) 520 Grams All Purpose Flour (4 Cups)
(2) 400 Grams Granulated White Sugar (2 Cups)
(3) 226 Grams Unsalted Butter (1 Cup) (See Note 1)
(4) 226 Grams Margarine (1 Cup)
(5) 10 Large Eggs
(6) 3 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract (1 Tablespoon)
(7) 4 Tablespoons Powdered Milk (See Note 2)
(8) 1/2 Cup Water
(9) 3 Teaspoons Baking Powder (1 Tablespoon)
(10) 1/2 Teaspoon Granted Nutmeg (Optional)
NOTES:
(1) Traditionally, Nigerian cakes are made with only margarine. This is due mainly to poor power supply and the relatively cheaper cost of margarine to butter. Margarine can be stored at room temperature while butter needs to be stored in the fridge. I have used some butter in this recipe to make the cake richer. This recipe can also be made with only 452 Grams of Margarine. I would advice against using only butter for this recipe as the margarine gives this cake a taste that is inherently Nigerian.
(2) I have used powdered milk here as that is what is readily available and used in Nigeria. If you have access to liquid milk, simply use 1/2 cup of milk in place of the powdered milk and water. It is however important to note that the addition of milk to any cake batter reduces the shelf life of that cake.
(3) The use of grated nutmeg is optional but it adds a great flavor to your cakes. It also makes your house smell amazing while the cakes are being baked.
PROCEDURE:
(1) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
TIP: In Nigeria, we often do not preheat our ovens long enough. The oven needs some time to come up to the required temperature. If you place your cakes in an oven that is not hot enough, they will not rise properly.
(2) Butter or grease two 9 inch cake pans. This cake can also be made in two 8 inch pans. The batter can fit into a single 10 – 12 inch pan; this however would affect the cooking time.
TIP: To prevent the cakes from sticking to the pans, coat the greased pans with some flour. You can also line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper for better security.
(3) Mix the powdered milk and water in a cup until all the milk has dissolved.
(4) In a large bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder. If using nutmeg, grate it into the flour mixture now.
TIP: Some times, the baking powder is added on its own at some stage in the cake mixing process. Mixing it with the flour however ensures that it incorporates better with the batter and ensures even distribution.
(5) In the bowl of your stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, place the butter and margarine and beat at medium speed until creamy. Then add sugar and continue beating until the mixture looks lighter in color, light and fluffy. This should take about 5 to 10 minutes.
NOTE: This process can also be done with a wooden spoon and a bowl. The creaming period would however be longer, about 10 to 15 minutes.
MYTH 1: The creaming period needs to be long. Some people cream the margarine and sugar for almost an hour. This is however not necessary. 10 minutes is more than enough time to cream your margarine and sugar. You will know that they are ready when the mixture becomes lighter in color and looks fluffy.
MYTH 2: The mixture should only be turned in one direction to prevent air from entering into the batter.. This also is false. The aim of creaming is to incorporate air into the batter and it does not matter which direction you turn it.
(6) With the mixer running on medium speed, add the eggs one at a time and beat until incorporated. Beat the batter at medium-high speed for about 2 minutes after adding the last egg.
TIP: Adding more than one egg at a time or all the eggs at once would make the batter cuddle or separate. It is best to add them one at a time so that they mix well with the batter. If it happens that your batter separates, do not panic. It would come back together when you add the flour to it.
MYTH 1: You need close to a crate of eggs. You do not need that many eggs.
MYTH 2: You need to beat the eggs until they form before adding it to the batter. This is pointless as the eggs will be beaten after they have been added to the batter. You only need to beat eggs when making certain types of cakes like Carrot Cake or Sponge Cake.
(7) Next, add the pure vanilla extract to the mixture and mix.
TIP: Pure vanilla extract might be very expensive, but the taste is quite superior to artificial vanilla flavor. Always try to use pure extracts whenever you bake. You would notice the difference in taste.
(8) Next, add the flour mixture and milk in 5 additions (flour, milk, flour, milk, flour), mixing after each addition. Mix just until all the flour has been absorbed into the batter. Incorporate any leftover batter with a spatula. The batter would be a rich creamy color.
NOTE: Do not add all the milk at once before adding the flour. It will take longer for the ingredients to blend together.
MYTH: You have to keep turning the batter at this point until it is very smooth. Actually, when it comes to cakes, a few lumps are good. The longer you mix the batter, the stronger the cake would be. This is why most Nigerian cakes are hard and very dense.
(9) Pour the cakes into the prepared cake pans and bake in preheated oven for 45 – 55 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
TIP: Do not bake the cakes long after the toothpick or tester has come out clean. The longer you bake the cake, the harder it would be. For more notes on how to achieve soft, moist and fluffy cakes, click on this link.
(10) Allow the cakes to cool in the pans for about 15 minutes before taking them out of the pans.
This cake can be enjoyed as is or frosted with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting. A recipe for Vanilla Buttercream Frosting can be found here.
Terry Adido is passionate about showing people how easy it is to recreate restaurant quality meals in the comfort of their kitchens. With a style of cooking he refers to as Afro-European Fusion, his meals are influenced greatly by French and Italian Cuisine with a West African twist. If you love good food, you are in for the ride of your life.
Hi,
The cakes already look so good.Definitely trying out the recipe. I have a few questions though. I thought 100g= 1 cup but in your recipe you say 520 grams is 4cups. Also how do you measure ratio of flour to eggs? Can’t wait for your reply.
Thanks
Hi. I used the US/Canadian standard cup measurement in which 1 cup = 130 grams. I am not sure 1 cup = 100 grams anywhere but I might be wrong. As per the eggs, I tried out different ratios and this is the one that worked best for me.
isn’t one cup 250
1 US Cup = 236.59ml
Wow tnks terry…u’re a darling
Thanks
Weldone boss. Gotten a tip or two to improve on my cake baking.
You are welcome.
u a doin great work my broda.May God continue 2 bless an inspire u.cookin is my passion also bakin so i need more of ur recipee juz like dis one.tenks
Thank you.
Thanks for sharing an upgraded recipe and for “breaking” the myths.God bless.
You are welcome.
Thumbs up man! Thanks for clarifying the myth issues.
You are welcome.
Thanks Terry but can the milk be replaced with brandy? To make it last longer?
I am not sure about the replacement. Brandy can be added as an additional ingredient, but the truth is, alcohol evaporates when exposed to heat, leaving only the flavor. Thus, the brandy you add to the cake batter wont be of any use other than flavor.
Thank you Terry, just want clarify somethings. For both powdered milk and evaporated milk, what brand did you use? Also, for the unsalted butter and margarine. You response sir would be highly appreciated.
Hi Titi. I am not based in Nigeria so the products I used are mostly those available in Edmonton. I used Dano milk powder (gotten from Nigeria), Becel margarine and Lucerna butter.
Thanks Terry
You are welcome.
Nice one Mr Terry, i always thought alcohol is added to preserve cake. Pls what can we add to preserve cakes
Unfortunately I do not know as I do not use any form of preservatives for my cakes. Other bakers might have ideas.
U can use any dry gin directly or use it to soak your fruits, and then sieve out the fruits and add them to your cake as they are soaked in the alcohol juice.
Thanks for your impute Obinna.
Terry, is there other simpler method apart from this,pls? I will be glad if you could help
I am not aware of any. In terms of Nigerian cake, this is as simple as it gets.
Thank you so much
You are welcome.
Thanks Uncle Terry for the wonderful n very straight forward recipe coz i dnt use milk when baking but as it is nw included in ur recipe, i wl surely give a try n am sure it wl b superb. Once again, thanx n more grease to ur elbow. #thumbsup
Thanks a lot.
Tomb up Mr Terry, please can be use as preservative
I don’t know as I do not use any.
Thanks Mr. Terry. I have same as Amarachi, Please what can we use to preserve cake then?
I do not know as I do not make use of preservatives. When worried or in doubt, store in the fridge.
Thanks sir U have being very helpful,could u please give me a recipe for plain flour n coco powder for chocolate cake,n also whats d important of corn starch in some cakes.
I have a recipe on the website for chocolate cake. Do check it out. Corn starch makes cakes and cookies light.
pls uncle Terry most of the ovens here don’t come with degree so how do I know how long to preheat an oven before baking? another one is do you know of any local way to bake a cake for those who do not have oven? thank u so much.
Hi. I do not know how to bake cakes without an oven. I am also not familiar with ovens without degree indicators. People with similar ovens might be able to help you out with this.
This is probably a year late…but when I was in secondary school, I baked cakes with pots. Basically you fill a very large pot halfway with sand and heat it up. Put your cake batter in a smaller pot and put it in the pot with sand. Cover the lid of the larger pot. Use knife or toothpick test after about 30mins (dependent on the size of cake) to check if the cake is baked. Hope this helps
Thanks Bibi for your impute. It is never too late.
Instead of sand you can also use a flat stainless plate. Turn it upside down and put your cake pan on it! It never fails me
Thanks a lot for your impute Feyi.
Wow, it is so detailed, i am certainly going to try this for my son birthday next week end, thanks Terry, may the good lord continue to bless and inspire u.
Thanks
Thank u terry. Pls can you help me with reciep 4 fundant icing
Hi. I use only Marshmallow Fondant. There is a recipe on this website for that. Do check it out.
I like the fact that u said over mixing your batter makes the cake hard, cos i made a cake for someone and she complained that it was too fluffy and she preferred hard cakes. just getting to understand why my cakes are always fluffy. God bless!
You are welcome. If you want harder cakes, mix longer.
Hmmmm, I had n idea and this is coming as a surprise to me. I had always thought that the longer u mix your batter, the fluffier the cake gets, but obviously I’ve been wrong.
I came across your website while looking for how to make a fondant stethoscope and I’ve been blessed since then. Thanks. Terry for all the wonderful work that u do.
You are welcome Lois
Thanks Terry. This is what I want when I keep on asking for a standard recipe. ‘ll dafenately try…
You are welcome.
God bless u for dis gud work u do.
Pls i notice dt some of my cake sometimes have dis bitter taste taste as än after effect, although not strong.
Pls wot cud b d cause
Hi. I cannot really tell as I do not know the ingredients you use and their quality. Some times though, artificial flavors can leave a bitter taste. Additives like preservatives, etc can also have this effect.
perhaps you add a lot of artifical flavours
Most likely.
Thanks a lot Mr Terry. What about the ” you have to beat/whisk your eggs till they get foamy” part. From what you shared it seems unnecessary.
Ah, I forgot about that one. I would add it to the list. No, it is not necessary as the eggs are beaten when added to the butter and sugar. Pls read the update under the notes about eggs.
Thanks a lot Terry for these wonderful tips, will give it a shot and see if i wanna swap it for mine (winks). For those asking for preservatives to use in nigeria you can buy sorbic acid. One teaspoon for 500g flour.
Thanks for your input.
hi Buki I know this is a long time ago comment but please I would like to know more about sorbic acid. Does it affect the taste of cake? For how long does it preserve cake? hoping to get a response. God bless.
Hi Mercy, no it does not affect the taste and can last for about 2weeks or more if refrigerated. Like Terry stated normal cake shelf life is about 1week
Thanks for your impute Buki.
Thanks Terry for this tips pls for how long can one preheat the oven at 360 “?
Hi. There are no rules as each oven is different. I would say about 30 minutes before you start baking. And it is 350 degrees and not 360.
Thanks a lot for this Terry. i tried out your carrot cake and it was superb.thanks once again
You are welcome Valentina.
Hi terry, nice one here and really eye opening. Please whenever I use currants/fruits in my cakes, it always comes out bitter and annoying n taste instead of soft an mushy like I taste in other cakes. What can cause this please??
Hi. This might have to do with the type of dried fruits you use. Fruits should actually add sweetness to cakes and not make them bitter. Try changing the brand of dried fruits you use.
Hi,dis might never be too late,most of the dried fruits nd currants gotten in nigeria wuld have the effect u stated but a way to alter dat is to soak dem for some hours in brandy before you use dem wit dat it softens nd doesnt leave you wit a bitter taste
Thanks for your tip Marvie.
Hi terry,you said we should cream for about 10mins. I use about 1hour with my mixer and an additional 45mins when hand mixing. Again,I cream until y batter is not so grainy. If I add the egg one by one,do I beat them differently before Hand or straight from the shell cos I was taught that beating the eggs aerate them.. Bless you
Hi. Like I stated in the post, you do not need to cream for an hour. This is just a waste of time and effort. I also stated the beating the eggs is not necessary as they would be beaten once added to the batter. You should try out my method and see if you notice any difference in your cakes, good or bad.
Hi Terry, I was going through your blog in preparation for my baby’s birthday. I initially chose French vanilla sponge cake but now that i see you have Nigerian cake recipe. I want to ask if I could use the procedure for French vanilla sponge cake to make Nigerian cake? Just the procedure but i will use the recipe here. Reason is that i don’t have mixer, i only have the whisk used for beating eggs and i’m lazy to do manual creamy of butter and sugar. Thank you
I have never tried doing it that way, so I really cannot tell how it would come out. Sorry.
I want to know if the cake will still come out nice
Hi,terry pls wot can i use for my cake to stay lng.
Use fresh ingredients. Omit milk. Store in fridge if worried.
Thanks Terry,,you ‘re the best!
Thanks.
Hi terry,i jst tried dis recipe,it was soooooooooooo nice,thankss soo much,also I wanted to find out if I can use only butter for dis recipe?thnx
Thanks. Yes you can.
Hi Terry. Great recipe thanks. I initially wanted to make the vanilla cake for my son’s birthday but i think ill make this instead. Pls can i use this quantity for a 12″ round pan or do i need to make adjustment?
Hi. You might need to put all the batter in a single pan for a 12 inch cake. That means you will double the recipe.
Ok. Double the recipe in one pan?. I intend to make a 12″ cake that is 2″ or 3″ tall. Do i still double the recipe?…sorry about all the questions
2 inch high, dont double. I dont know about 3. I hv not tried it before.
Thanks a lot. Will try it and keep you posted
Cool
Thanks for all your post, God bless. Im really confuse with measuring with my cup, i need to measure with grams but i have a cup with ml. Pls help
Hi. I am not sure I understand your question or concern.
Terry, Please I need the recipe for fondant icing without marshmallow. Thanks
Hi. I do not have one. Sorry.
Hi Terry pls can i use other flavours like strawberry or butterscotch in place of vanilla?
Yes you can.
Ok update. I made this for my son’s bday and it was totally delish. I used butterscotch flavour instead of vanilla and baked in a12″ pan. Thanks a lot Terry. Although i noticed the top of my cake was sticky not dry any idea why?
You are welcome. I really cant say why it was sticky. It could have been caused by a lot of things like high humidity or if you place the cake in the fridge before it was completely cool.
tnx uncle Terry
You are welcome Sharon
thank you sir, pls. when adding flour and milk should i use mixer or just wooden spoon
Nafisat, if you have a mixer, why would you want to use a wooden spoon? A mixer will make the job easier.
Hi T.A,pls hw long will dis cake last after baking,since dere’re no preservatives in it?
Thanks!
If properly baked, for a few days when sealed at room temperature. It can be kept longer in the fridge or even frozen.
Thanks for your efforts Terry, I just stumbled on your site, very good job. Can I double the recipe for a 12x 4 inch round cake pan? What of a 12×4 inches square cake pan? Thanks
Yes you can Victora. That’s what I do.
good job T. pls can I use use this recipe for a wedding cake
Thanks. If you want to. I used it for this cake.
Hi Terry, nice work always, do keep it up. Pls I will like to make, input. Someone asked what can she use in place of oven. Use a big pot that has a lid that closes tightly. The procedure are ; (1) place empty tin tomato can the smallest size like 5 or more pieces that the baking pan can sit on without tilting. (2)place the pot on a stove with a low and consistent heat. (make sure your stove burns BLUE and not NOT YELLOW flames. (3)That’s your oven, allow it to get hot for a while( pre-heat). (4)bake your cake, following the normal procedure of baking. N.B if the heat is too much, the cake will burn. Some people use sand instead of the empty cans, but the sand may enter the cake batter, some use stone, but it may not be even. The purpose is so that the pan doesn’t sit directly on the pot. Hope this post is useful.
Thanks for this point Funke. I am certain this will help a lot of people who want to bake but do not have access to ovens.
This is cool and educating!
Thanks.
Hello terry,
can i use buttermilk instead of the normal milk what effect would it have on the cake and would i need to add baking soda?
Yes you can. Will give a softer crumb structure. No, no baking soda.
thanks terry
You are welcome.
Also terry,
have you ever tried adding nuts to this recipe and some dried fruits …did it sink? i hope to try this soon
I have tried dried fruits, not nuts. They didn’t sink. See the trick on how to achieve this here.
Thanks Terry. I made this cake last week using your recipe and the result was amazing.. My friends loved it too. Thanks and happy birthday..
Hi Stephanie. I’m glad you loved it.
Hi Terry
Please instead of using milk for the cake, can I use butterscotch flavour
Will I get the same effect?
Thanks
Hi. I don’t think any flavouring agent is a substitute for milk in a recipe.
Well done job Boss, pls I want to ask that I thot butter and sugar shd always be the same measurement eg 600g of butter, egg and flour? And pls can u give me few tips on how to stack a cake without bending to one side, thanks a lot.
The quantity of sugar and butter used for any cake will depend on the type of cake you want to make. This recipe calls for 2 cups of fat (butter and/or margarine) and 2 cups of sugar.
For stacking cakes, see my post on that here.
Hello terry thanks for doing a great job. Pls the edmonton u re talking about is it d one in london cos l live there too and could not find the butter and margarine u mentioned.
Hi. Its Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Margarine and butter can be found in any grocery store in the UK. Check the cold section or ask a store attendant.
Pls , ur 10 large eggs equals to wat grams cos eggs varies in sizes . Thanks and awaitin ur response
Hi. There is no measurement for eggs in grams for this recipe. A large egg is about 55 grams so you can multiply that by 10 if you want an exact weight.
Pls,hw many mls is ur cup?
236.59 mls
Hello Terry how are you doing. Pls I just finished baking my daughter’s cake with this recipe of yours. I havnt tasted it yet but I can see the difference clearly already. Pls my question is this, I am planning to cover the cake with fondant and use on Saturday. But I am suddenly worried. Pls for how long with this cake stand before it gets spoilt since I added milk to my batter. ThanKs so much.
I see you baked the cake on Thursday. I would suggest chilling it before frosting. I would also suggest covering it with fondant on Friday. It should keep until Saturday. If you are scared of it going bad, you can keep it in the fridge and bring it out about 2 hours before it is to be used so it comes back to room temperature. All the best.
Thanks so much Terry really appreciate your response. Pls do I need to cover the iced cake with a wrapper or something before putting it in the fridge then hope the fondant won’t melt. I used your marshmallow fondant recipe. Thanks a bunch
No to covering with plastic. I hope your fridge is free of anything with a strong smell though. No it does not melt.
Terry, I must say you have been REALLY awesome and you are actually a gift. Though I’m new here I have a question. Pls what’s your take on using rum or gin as preservatives for cake, cos I used to see my aunt do that when I was quite little.
Thanks Ogochukwu. A lot of Nigerians add rum, gin, whiskey or some form of alcohol to their vanilla cakes as some form of preservatives. However, I do not believe they serve that purpose. Alcohol evaporates when heated leaving only the flavor. If alcohol is to be used as a form of preservative, it should be applied after the cake has been baked, preferably mixed in a simple syrup.
hi guys. I produce and supply cakes to stores in town. I’ve always had a problem with the shelf life which is one week. Pls how do i increase the shelf life of the cakes.
Hi. I do not use any special kind of preservatives in my cakes. I keep them in the fridge.
Hi Tosin, another BHOSA member doing great things. please i have a question i have a mixer which doesn’t come with a K beater but the whisk and hooks, does using the whisk to beat my sugar and butter change the outcome of the cake.
Hi Hilda. I am not sure the whisk attachment is strong enough to cream sugar and butter. If it is, then you can use it. All you wanna do is incorporate air into the mixture. Up BHOSA!
Hi Terry, please I have a few questions.
1) Is corn flour same as corn starch?
2) Can I use homemade cake flour instead of all purpose flour for this recipe?
3)Also If I’m baking a single 9inch cake will I be using same measurements?
Thank you.
Hi Wuraola. (1) No; (2) Yes for a softer cake; (3) Yes.
Oh.. and one last question please (atleast for now). Lol
Can the sugar be reduced for people that don’t like their cakes too sweet? Or will it have any effect on the cake?
Sorry to be a bother.
You can reduce the sugar by 1/4 cup. It is not a very sweet cake.
hello
ps people where can i buy buttermilk for baking in Abuja, and also cream milk for ice cream
i will really appreciate your ASAP respond.
thank you.
Hi. I’m not based in Nigeria so really can’t say. Perhaps someone else here might be able to help out.
Hello omali fatima…if you dont have buttermilk you can use a substitute which is one cup of milk + i tablespoon of vinegar then allow it to sit for about 5mins. it works for me everytime
Fatima, I do buy in Park n Shop near Banner Wuse II, or big supermarkets. You can also check shoprite.
pls where can i get sorbic acid in nigeria
I have no idea.
terrryyyy!!!! i was supposed to bake a this cake but didnt have enuf white sugar so i mixed it up with brown sugar, added cinnamon and a lil more nutmeg!!!! omg!!! it was fantastic!!!! u shld try it
Wow, that sounds delicious. I will definitely give this twist a try. Thanks for sharing.
pls add a hint of vanilla too
Hi, thanks so much for taking ur time to reply every one. Instead of all purpose flour, can I use self raising flour n just unsalted butterinstead of stork butter. And I also realised my cakes get oily or too dry inside.help pls? Thanks
Hi. Thanks for your mail. (1) Self rising flour already has baking powder. You might need to leave out the baking powder in the recipe is you are using SRF. (2) You can use only unsalted butter (3) The answer to this can be found here.
Hi Terry, thanks alot for the recipe. How many cupcakes can this recipe yield please?
Terry, God will give you more grace, to always keep you on top.
This is a very detailed post.
I wish most bakers could lay their hands on this.
As it answered most questions being asked by beginners.
Thank you very much.
You are welcome Chinyere.
can I use shortening in place of butter, cos here in Nigeria, we mistake butter for margarine. thanks
Hi Yetunde, no you can’t. I would rather you use all margarine.
Yetunde shortening I know are mostly for white icing. But u can use both unsalted butter and margarine to bake, say you have 350g for margarine, you can use 150g of butter and 200g of margarine and cream with sugar,dis add sme softness to the cake.that’s what I do.
thanks Terry, thanks Hilda. love u both
You are welcome.
noted; thanks Terry, thanks Hilda
You’re most welcome Yetunde
Now I know that following cake myths isn’t the best at all. Thanks to you Terry cos I followed your Nigerian cake recipe and it came out perfect. No complains, no issues, no mixing of batter for one hour.
Hear! Hear!! I wish all Nigerian bakers could read this. We always stress ourselves when there are easier ways of achieving better results. Thanks for sharing.
pls whats ur website?
http://www.gratednutmeg.com
l tried this recipe. The cake was superb and l didn’t stress myself in turning the butter and the sugar as l was taught to do it for one hour.God bless you.
Awesome. I’m glad you tried it and saw the results. The funny thing is that upon all the hours of creaming we do, our cakes still do not turn out fluffy. There are other ways of achieving fluffiness in cakes.
Hello terry hope you good all I just have to say is God bless you for inspiring others ,i tried out the nigeria cake recipe nd I must say it’s a wow wow wow it was so dam good wish I cold upload a pix,i actually used 400g butter nd 52g margarine,1/2 cup of liquid peak milk, vanilla extract mixed with butterscotch flavour and a little nutmeg, so far the best cake I have ever made, thanks a lot for sharing, luv ya
Wow! That’s amazing Nana. I’m glad you loved it. Thanks for sharing. I would try your twist of adding butterscotch flavor some day soon.
OK m gonna try dis tomorrow n get back to u….Neva baked a cake before but dis seems easy…tnx
All the best. It is easy.
Though av seen many posts that touched this but am still going to say how glad i am that i dont haave to spoil my mixer cos i have to cream for 1hr30mins or more thank u terry so much for pointing this out.u know wen i read from other sites like gretchens bakery and d likes i tot well maybe its bcos they have kitchen aid mixer and i dont thats they only mix for 5 to 10mins but now my poor mixer can rest.thank u so much Terry God bless u
Glad I could help Ify. You are welcome.
Thank you Mr. Terry for this recipe. By the way, I tried your recipe for the RVC and it was superb. My question is about the myth of incorporating flour into the butter and sugar mixture, we were told to alternate it with whisked eggs( flour, egg, flour,egg, flour). please what do you have to say concerning this? Is it really necessary? TIA
I have never heard about this method before. But no, it is not necessary.
Hi terry,u are d best…. tanx a bunch. but pls can I sprinkle water on d top of a hard cake to soften it a bit and gv it moisture?
Thanks a lot,anxiously waiting for ur reply
No you cant. You can spray the cake layers with a simple syrup (half sugar, half water, boiled until the sugar dissolves).
Hi Terry,
Would this be a typical cake for a birthday celebration? I have a new Nigerian friend who is an immigrant to Italy, where I live, and I want to make him a birthday cake. Would this recipe give him that ‘taste from home’ sensation? Thank you so much, Wendy
Yes. This cake is a typical Nigerian cake. He would love it.
Perfect. Our Nigerian friend had a very rough time getting over here to Italy, and me and my family want to make him feel welcome with a ‘taste from home’. Thanks so much!
You are most welcome.
am glad I came across this after wondering why I have been baking hard cakes instead of the fluffy ones I used to bake before buying my mixer. I have been over beating my Batter all the while. you are a blessing. I do have one more problem which is, the top of my cake feels sticky to touch after its cold, any idea why? thanks
This is most times caused by too much sugar in the cake recipe. Another reason could be that you cover your cakes before they have cooled properly.
Thanks for correcting those myths. Reading it has been very helpful. Pls one question I will like to ask. What type of preservatives do you think is the best. Please I want to bake now and I need your opinion. Thanks.
Hi. I know nothing about preservatives as I have never used them.
Thx terry, God bless you for sharing these ideas with everyone. Pls at what point will i add my white egg if im to use the egg yolk and white separation method
You are welcome. After making the batter. You fold in the egg whites at the end.
Terry hi,
Thanks for the recipe but can this be used as a wedding cake cos i thought fruit cakes with enough molasses and no milk is what they use for Nigerian wedding cakes.
You can use whatever cake you want for weddings. It all depends on what the bride wants. If you want a traditional Nigerian wedding cake recipe, you can find that here.
so i have been looking for the right vanilla cake recipe. i found some good ones but was not totally satisfied. i even tried your french vanilla sponge cake but mehnnnnn the process was long. i decided to give this a try i have an oven thermometer for those that dnt have a gas mark in lagos thats something worth investing in. Terry thanks for this.i baked a 6″ and it was gone in minutes the nut meg gives it a wonderful flavour.
I’m glad you finally found a recipe which worked for you. Keep baking Dee!
I tried it out and I wasn’t disappointed. It tasted good. Used it for my son’s 2yrs birthday. Thanks Terry
You are welcome Uju.
You have made baking Easy for me. Who knew I can bake. Thank you much. With tho recipe, my cake came out fabulous!
Awesome! I’m glad you nailed it.
I just got a masterchef mixer but it says in the instructions that I should only use for 3 minutes then let the mixer rest for about 10mins. Pls is this normal?
That’s strange as 3 minutes is not enough time to mix anything.
hello Mr Terry you are doing a good job here. Please I’m planning on baking my daughter’s first birthday cake this week using your Nigerian cake recipe but I need clearance on the measuring cup you are referring to, Nigerians use the emptied peak liquid milk tin, I don’t know if you are referring to that or another kind of measuring cup. Please I will appreciate a response as soon as possible. Bless you.
Hi, thanks. No, I use standard baking cups. They are sold in cake supply stores.
Hello, I have a problem while baking. When am done baking, the cake is usually oily, like oil is coming out of it in the middle but looks baked. At first i thought it was under baked so when next i tried baking again, i allowed it to stay longer in the oven but the cake ended up burnt with the same problem (oil in the middle). I want to ask if there is something am doing wrong? Thank you
Most likely too much fat in your recipe. Please change recipes (or use mine).
Hi Terry. You doing a great job here. Please is it necessary to use milk in mixing cake batter before it comes out soft and fluffy? because I have seen cakes baked without milk but still comes out fluffy… and whenever I bake, my batter is always thick ( exclude milk) and my cake always turns out dense. Is it that the dry ingredients is more than the liquid ones. What do you think? Thanks
Hi. No you don’t need milk. You can try my sponge cake recipe here.
Wow Terry!U are a genius ,just made both ur vanilla cup cakes and nigerian cake,they came out wow wow wow(laughs).Thank u.
That’s awesome news. Thanks for sharing.
Now I’ve found me someone who thinks just like me! Yikes..
I don’t know how Mr. Terry manages to do these.. You reply to each comment..#whatihavehardlyseenofanyblogger.
Its Amazing,impressive and certainly blessed. God bless you even more.
I remain your number fan.. Lol.
Quick one,I have a 16″diameter cake to bake,and if I go with this recipe,you know how many eggs be going down. Please,do I have to put one egg at a time too? Whew!
Hi. For 16 inch pan I’d use 15 eggs. Thus the recipe x 1.5. You might need to bake more than once sponge for a 4 inch tier. When a recipe states put one egg at a time, what it means is that you break all the eggs into a bowl and with the mixer running, you start pouring in the eggs a little at a time. So technically, it is not actually 1 egg at a time.
Got it! Thank you alot
Hi Terry plsssssss give us a tutorial on that bundle of aso oke cake will u?
And congratulations ur recent Canada chef master outing
Getting to top 14 was not an easy feat.so proud of u👍👍
Thanks. Will do a tutorial if I ever get to make another.
Hi Terry, a million thanks for this post. Finally ive summoned the courage to bake my first cake (now that i know my arm wont hurt from execessive mixing). Will be back with my testimony 🙂
Awesome. Do let me know how it goes.
Hi, Mr.Terry..Thanks alot for your Post.. I’ll like to know more abt d creaming method, do I have to go to the next step after creaming the butter and sugar for 15mins, even if the grains of d sugar is still visible. Cos I learnt dat it has to dissolve /smoothen out in the butter,so as to give the cake a Better texture
I do not cream until the sugar becomes invisible. That is not necessary in my opinion.
Thanks Mr. Terry for your response.. Pls if I’m to use 500grams of Flour, what measurement can I use for the margarine and sugar.. cos I can’t seem to get d exact measurement in ur recipe.
Why use 500 grams when the recipe calls for 520 grams? Why not just add the extra 20 grams and follow the recipe?
Can’t seem to get dat extra 20g measurement or pls can u tell me wat culd be used to achieve dat,Lik Tablespoon or Teaspoon. Bt more importantly I tried out your recipe using d 500grams & it came out Nice..Had a lot of Compliments.. Pls i ve another issue, my meatpies keep breaking, Pls can u tell me d reason Y? I know ds is not d Forum 4ds, bt Pls..
Well, since it worked well, let’s not fix what isn’t broken. As for meatpie, I don’t know why its breaking. You should try my recipe and see.
Hi,Mr. Terry.. for the vanilla buttercream frosting,can margarine be used in the absence of butter.. for the frosting..
Technically, yes. I believe that’s what bakers use in Nigeria.
Mr Terry, pls i need your opinion on the measurement you listed out, i want to make +half the measurement of all you said so the cake will be much and enough, can you help me with the measurements below if there is any correction to be made
1) 260Grams All Purpose Flour
(2) 200 Grams Granulated White Sugar
(3) 113Grams Unsalted Butter
(4) 113 Grams Margarine
(5) 5 Large Eggs
(6) 1 and 1/2 Teaspoons Pure Vanilla Extract
(7) 2 Tablespoons Powdered Milk
(8) 3/4 Cup Water
(9) 1 and 1/2 Teaspoons Baking Powder
(10) 1/4Teaspoon Granted Nutmeg (Optional)
Hi. (8) 1/4 Cup Water.
Thanks, i already baked before getting ur reply… It came out right👍👍👌
Awesome!
Sorry for the late reply. It came out great and fluffy. Was so proud of myself.
Only ish is that, the cake was a bit burnt at d bottom and didnt rise much. Probably cos i used a stove and was too excited, i kept peeking into the pot.
Aside that, it was excellent!
Thanks again.
Thanks for your feedback Mosandy.
I didnt use your exact measurement, used lesser quantities but same proportion as yours.
Thank you sir for this. I am not Nigerian and am certainly not a baker but I had a taste of the Nigerian cake and fell in love with it but had no idea how to make it. I tried to make once and it came out as hard as a rock and I got discouraged. But when I read your blog, I wanted to give it a try one more time and it was a success. I baked it for my sister’s bd and she and her husband ( and I) loved it. Now I am looking for every opportunity to bake it for people to enjoy. Thank you very much.
I am glad to hear about your success Astou. Do keep baking!
Thank you tres much Terry I referred about 5 people to your blog today already. The taste is divine I simply multiplied by 3 and added a bit of butter scotch to make a 12 and 8″ tiered cake for my neice…It’s the best nigerian cake recipe ever p.s I used margarine all through and reduced sugar by 50g
Thanks for the feedback Toolz. Its glad to know that using 100% margarine also produces the same result. Thanks for the referral.
Wow…… This is the most wonderful cake ive ever baked!
That’s awesome Ada.
Hi Terry,
1 more question pls,is the paddle attachment better for creaming dan the balloon attachment and Wat difference do they make. Thanks in anticipation
If by balloon attachment you mean whisk attachment, then no do not use it to cream. The mixture will collect in the middle of the “balloon”.
Aiit terry,tanx a bunch!…..Really hope to c u some day…*winks*
Hi Terry, my paddle attachment doesn’t get to the bottom of my mixing bowl when I’m making a smaller quantity of cake. So I use the whisk to cream then change to the paddle when about to mix. I sincerely find the whisk faster to cream than the paddle attachment.
Pls, what effect does using the whisk to cream have on a cake?
Its fine if it works for you. There is no negative effect. I just find that the butter clumps up the whisk esp on the inside.
I am relieved to see this blog, i have been searching for a receipe like this. Pls while adding eggs, can i use the separation method(seperating yolk from egg white)? I will definitely try this receipe
Yes you can if you want a lighter and fluffier cake.
Nice one, be blessed for this lesson. please can I use this recipe for the Queen cakes I want to deliver to supermarkets for sale or do you have another for me. Thanks
Hi. Please click here for queen cakes recipe.
Hi.
While I read the comment and your replies…. I got tired at some point. I kept on telling myself Mr Terry…such a patient man. This is a humanitarian service you have put up. God bless you
🙂 Thanks Medina.
I added milk to my cake. Batter and I forgot to add rum to preserve.. Pls how do I remedy dis situation?
Alcohol evaporates when exposed to heat. Adding alcohol to your batter before baking the cake will not preserve it.
Good day Mr Terry, I do cream my batter up to an hour with a mixer Nd also whisk my egg till foamy b4 nw.. my question is if I should cream my butter and sugar for 5- 10 min then add d eggs 1 at a time without whisking, will my cake be fluffy and moist at the end??In Nigeria here we believe in creaming for long else d cake won’t be fluffy. so I was taught.
Well, the only way you can be convinced is to try it out for yourself and see. Nothing I can say here can do better than first hand experience.
Bless you terry, i just got the answer i needed regarding the size of nigerian wedding cake i intend to make from here.
You are welcome Vera.
Thanks a lot for this recipe. Please ndo you use electric oven or gas oven?
You are welcome. Gas.
Hi, you are blessed and I am so blessed to know aabout grated nutmeg, please can I mix my margarine and sugar with an electric blender
Thanks. I have never tried that before and so cannot say. I know it is possible with a food processor.
Hello Terry!
Thanks very much and God bless you for the great work you are doing here.
Can I omit buttermilk in Red Velvet Cake? Does buttermilk shorten its shelf life?
For regular cakes like vanilla cake, Nigerian cake, queen cake, chocolate cake, butter cake, etc., can I go without evaporated milk to prolong shelf life? If yes, will that lead to reduced quality, etc., of the cake?
What should I do to avoid an overly thick batter as a result of the removal of milk? Does too much batter thickness make a cake hard and dense?
Thanks.
Hi. (1) No you cannot omit it; (2) Yes milk products reduce shelf life of baked goods; (3) Look for recipes that do not include milk if you wanna avoid it; (4) omitting milk from recipes which call for it will lead to dense and “hard” cakes; (5) Yes, the thicker your batter the firmer the cake will be; (6) Read this post on how to make cakes light and moist.
used this recipe to cake for the first time and it was awesome. the cake came out beautifully. Thanks, keep up the good work.
Glad to hear that Funnyi. You are welcome.
Hello,
Thank you so much for this recipe. If I wanted to make just one pan, would I just halve the recipe? Thank you
Yes. It also depends on size of pan. If its a 10 inch pan, the full recipe will go into it.
You’re the best! I have a 9 inch pan so I’ll just use the full recipe and fill.the pan til it’s enough and discard the rest. Thank you so very much!
I followed this recipe and the cake i baked for a cousin’s birthday came out so well. everyone loved the cake. thanks a lot Terry
You are welcome Joy. Glad you all loved it.
Hi Terry, thank you so much for this recipe. May God bless and reward you immensely.Please aside from pure vanilla extract, do all the other flavors have their pure extract versions available too? Lots of love!
Some of them like coconut, lemon, etc (naturally occurring flavors) have their pure extracts.
Hello there! I’m a baker and I reside in Lagos. Please does anyone know where I can buy UNSALTED BUTTER (not margarine please), in large quantities, say 5Kg or more, in Lagos? And what brand would you recommend please? I would appreciate useful feedbacks. Thank you.
I want to buy a new gas cooker with oven. Would you please recommend a good brand for baking cake. Thanks
I would ask around in Nigeria as I am based in Canada.
pls cn i use milk flavor in place of milk in the cake so it dsnt spoil fast,bt will it have the same effect and taste?
No.
Plz can I add lemon zest to ur recipe?if yes,how many teaspoons?
Yes. 1 tsp.
Hello boss, it’s been a while. Infact, I’ve almost turned pro working with your recipe. Thanks so much and God bless you.
I came across a write-up which says butter taste better and richer than Magarine. Pls, what’s your advise as to using only butter for this recipe?
Yes. Butter taste better than margarine and gives cakes a richer taste. You can use all butter here if you want to.
Hello Mr Terry, I think with your blog I can start my small time baking business. Thanks and God bless you.
I agree with you. You are welcome.
I tried this today and it came out well,I even added brownie to one of the pans to make marble cake….God bless you
Awesome!
Well done!
I can’t seem to get unsalted butter anywhere in my neighborhood.
Please do you think salted butter would still do the job? It’s President butter. Thank you.
Yes it will. Omit salt in recipe.