Vanilla Sponge Cake With Buttercream Frosting and Strawberry Jam
[Vegan, Gluten-Free]

To Make the Cake:

1. Preheat your oven to 340°F and line two 8-inch tins with parchment paper.
2. In a bowl, combine the almond milk with the apple cider vinegar and whisk until fully combined. Set aside for 10 minutes to curdle. This creates a vegan buttermilk.
3. Once the buttermilk is ready, add in the oil, sugar, and vanilla extract. Whisk on high for around 2-3 minutes until fully combined.
4. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking soda, baking powder, corn starch, and salt. Don't over mix but mix well until the flour disappears.
5. Slowly add the dry mixture into the wet and fold in until fully combined.
6. Pour equal amounts of batter into the lined cake tins. Make sure to tap the tins on the worktop to remove any air bubbles.
7. Pop the cake tins into the preheated oven and bake for 20-22 minutes. You will know they are done when you put a knife or skewer in and it comes out clean and they are springy to the touch.
8. Place the cakes on a cooling rack and allow to cool fully. Once cool, pop them into a sealed container to keep them fresh before frosting.

To Make the Frosting:

1. In a bowl or stand mixer, cream the butter on high then add in the vanilla and icing sugar slowly to prevent sugar clouds. Add milk if needed.
2. Level off your cakes (if needed) with a sharp knife.
3. Layer the cakes with equal amounts of buttercream and jam. Make sure on the top layer to turn the cake upside down for a flat top.
4. Crumb coat the whole cake and pop into the refrigerator for an hour to chill.
5. Once the frosting is firm, give a final layer of buttercream and decorate. Serve fresh or store in a sealed container in or out of the refrigerator, the buttercream will firm up at room temperature.