Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius for 10 minutes.
In a wide bowl, take sugar, oil and curd. Whisk well with a beater until everything is combined and mixture turns white.
Now add vanilla essence and whisk well. Add milk and mix.
Sift maida, wheat flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. You can add all the dry ingredients together or in 2-3 batches and gently stir until everything gets mixed well.
Mix well to get a lump-free batter. First mix with a spatula, if you observe any lumps, then whisk it with a hand whisk. Consistency of the batter should be such that it should easily drop from spatula. You can adjust the quantity of liquid at this stage. If you feel ¼ cup milk is not enough, you can add little water. Only add water if you find the batter thick.
Grease the cake tin with oil/butter and line it with a parchment paper. You can even grease the cake tin with butter/oil and dust with flour. Pour the batter into the tin. Tap 8-10 times just to level the mixture.
Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for about 30-35 minutes. Baking time will vary for every convection. Be alert and check after 30-32 minutes.
Remove from the oven insert a toothpick into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean, cake is ready. If it doesn’t come out clean, bake for a few more minutes.
Cover and let it cool down for atleast 30 mins before demoulding. Once slightly cooled, invert on a wire rack.
Cover the cake and allow it to cool completely for 3-4 hours. Once it comes to room temperature, cut into slices and enjoy. If you wish to frost the cake, then cover with cling wrap and refrigerate for at least 5-6 hours.
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Notes
Below are some tips and suggestions that will help you bake a perfect cake :TIP 1 - All ingredients should be at room temperature + always use fresh curd Curd or yogurt should not be sour, otherwise there will be a sour taste in your spongeTIP 2 - Do not add full quantity of liquid at once as mentioned in recipe. Before adding dry ingredients, add only half the quantity and mix. Then gradually add remaining quantity after adding dry ingredients and mix well to get a lump-free batter. Consistency of the batter should be such that it should easily drop from spatula. You can adjust the quantity of liquid as per your flour typeTIP 3 - Always level the flour or baking powder/soda and then add to the batterTIP 4 - Do not over beat/whisk the batter There is a possibility that cake will turn out to be dense if you will over whisk the batter. Just whisk till everything gets combined well and you get a lump-free batter.TIP 5 - Tap the tin to level the batter. Do not level it with a spoon or spatula.TIP 6 - Wait for atleast 30 minutes before demoulding the cake from tin. You can even let the cake be there in the tin for long.TIP 7 - After atleast 30 minutes, invert on a wire rack. Cover the cake and allow it to cool completely for 3-4 hours.