The Essential Sponge Cake Recipe

The Essential Sponge Cake Recipe

 

Sponge Cake Mixture

12 eggs

pinch of salt

370g plain flour

330g raw caster sugar

120g butter, melted & cooled

Start by having all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 180.c 

Line two 10-12” spring form cake tins and set aside

Place the eggs and sugar in an electric mixer and beat on high for 10-12 minutes or until the mixture has doubled in size and is light and fluffy

While the egg mixture is beating sift flour 6-10 times (this part is a must, do not skip the sifting)

Sift the flour once more over the egg mixture; fold through with a wide spatula until just mixed. Make sure there are no bubbles of flour left unmixed 

fold through cooled melted butter

Pour half the mixture into each prepared cake tins

Bake for 25-35 minutes, or until golden and once pressed lightly on top and the cake spring back. Cool completely in the cake tin

Serve as desired; perfect for a tradition strawberry jam and cream sponge or sandwich lemon basil curd in between the layers and top with fresh berries

Enjoy

Orange Blossom & Pistachio Bundt

Orange Blossom & Pistachio Bundt

Cake Mixture

6 eggs

310ml milk

300g butter, cubed

15ml vanilla extract

40ml orange blossom water

150g plain flour

450g self raising flour

450g raw caster sugar

60g pistachios, crushed; to adorn

Icing Mixture

250g icing sugar

30ml milk, warm

10ml orange blossom water

Have all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat the oven to 190.c

Generously butter a 10” Bundt tin, making sure to butter and line the center with baking paper

Sift both flours together 4-6 times and set aside

In an electric mixer cream together butter, sugar and vanilla, until light and fluffy. With the mixer speed on medium, add eggs; beating well after each addition

Decrease the mixer speed to low and starting with a small amount of flour, alternate mixing in the flour, milk and orange blossom water until well mixed, you may notice the mixture will look slightly curdled to start with, this is normal and will soon mix into a nice smooth mixture

Pour mixture into prepared Bundt tin, bake for 50-70 minutes or until a skewer poked into the center comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly pressed

Cool completely in the tin, this is a must, especially when baking in a grooved Bundt tin

Now for the icing drizzle, heat milk in a small pot over low heat, do not let it boil, add orange blossom water to the milk once it is off the heat, place icing sugar in a mixing bowl and mix continuously while pouring milk into icing mixture

Turn your cooled Bundt cake onto a serving stand and drizzle as you wish; it is up to you if you would like the whole cake covered with a glaze or with a lovely drizzle, finished with a sprinkle of ground pistachios

Lemon & Thyme Cake with Lemon Butter

 

Stop by and treat yourself to a slice
The Silva Spoon Tea & Coffee Emporium in Cotton Tree, Sunshine Coast QLD. 
@alita_johnson

Lemon & Thyme Cake with Lemon Butter

Cake Mixture

6 eggs

310ml milk

300g butter, cubed

3 lemons, zest only

1 tablespoon vanilla

60g fresh thyme leafs

450g raw caster sugar

150g plain flour

450g self raising flour

fresh thyme sprigs to serve

Icing Mixture

1 lemon, juice

50g icing sugar

150g cream cheese

Lemon butter

1 egg

2 egg yolks

80ml lemon juice

110g butter, cubed

80g raw caster sugar

Start by having all ingredients at room temperature. Preheat oven to 190.c and line a 10” spring form tin

Preparing the lemon butter first is a must; so the mixture has time to set (if you like, this step can be done the night before), start by placing the butter and lemon juice in a small pot and stir over low heat until butter has melted. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, egg yolks and sugar until combined.

Now for the next step; you need to whisk fast and continuously; so take a damp tea towel and place it on the kitchen bench, place your bowl with the egg mixture on top, slowly pour in melted lemon butter mixture while whisking very fast, we do not want the mixture to cook the eggs and split at the stage so mix until well combined.

The lemon butter will need to set in the refrigerator for up to an hour, makes 1 cup

Sift both flours together 4-6 times and set aside

Cream the butter, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest in an electric mixer until light and fluff. Add eggs; beating well after each addition

Starting with flour, add small amounts of the flour, thyme leafs and milk. Alternate until will combine

Pour into prepared tin and bake for 50-65 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean when inserted into the center, or when pressed lightly the cake springs back

Set aside to cool completely in the tin

Now for the cream cheese icing; beat cream cheese until light and fluffy, slowly add icing sugar and lemon juice, set aside

Turn cake out on to a stand, spread a generous amount of the cream cheese icing, followed by the lemon butter, adorn with fresh sprigs of thyme

Store chilled in an air tight container, up to 2 days; if it last that long.

Almond, Lemon & Ricotta Cake Gluten Free

Almond, Lemon & Ricotta Gluten Free Cake

Cake Mixture

6 eggs

510g sugar

550g ricotta 

zest of 3 lemons

460g almond meal

210g butter, cubed

1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste

Have all ingredients at room temperature before you start baking. Pre heat oven at 180.c. Line a 10” spring form tin and butter generously

Separate the eggs, in a stand mixer; whisk the whites on high speed until soft peaks form

 In a separate bowl; cream together the butter, sugar, vanilla and lemon zest until light and fluffy

Add the yolks one by one until well mixed

With the mixer on low, slowly add the almond meal

Starting with a spoon full of egg whites, gently fold into almond mixture with a wide spatula; continue folding in egg whites until all has been mixed in

Pour into prepared tin, baked for 45-60 minutes, it will vary with every oven; you can tell it is ready when the sides have slightly come away from the tin and the top has puffed slightly

Cool completely in the tin before removing. Refrigerate up to 3-4 days in an airtight container

Chai Spice Apple Tea Cake with Almond Meringue

Chai Spice Apple Tea Cake with Almond Meringue

Cake Mixture

150g Plain flour
450g Self raising flour
1 tablespoon ginger
1 tablespoon Cinnamon
1 tablespoon All spice
6 eggs
300g Butter
40g Brown sugar
400g Raw caster sugar
310ml Chai tea infused milk
1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
2 Granny smith apples, peeled & sliced

Meringue Mixture

3 Egg whites
40g Brown sugar
40g Sliced almonds
1 teaspoon allspice
1 tablespoon cinnamon


Start by having all ingredients at room temperature.
Set oven at 190.c line a spring form tin with baking paper.

Place Chai tea and milk in a small pot over low heat for 4 minutes increase heat to medium for 2 minutes. Do not let the milk boil. While the milk is infusing, sift both flours and spices together 4-6 times. Remove infused milk from heat and cool to room temperature.

In a stand mixer beat both sugars and butter on medium-high for 4-6 minutes, until light and fluffy. Add vanilla bean paste. With the mixer turned to low-medium mix in eggs, beating well after each addition.

Alternating between the flour and Chai tea infused milk, starting with flour; mix in small amounts of each until well combined. With the mixer turned off, fold through the sliced apples.

Pour the cake mixture into your prepared tin. Bake for 25 minutes.

Now for the almond cinnamon meringue; with a whisk attachment on your stand mixer, or you can use a hand mixer, beat the egg whites for two minutes, adding small amounts of the sugar slowly. Continue to beat while you add the cinnamon and all spice. You will know when your meringue is whipped enough when you hold your bowl upside down and the mixture doesn’t not move. Fold through the sliced almonds with a spatula.

Remove the cake from the oven and carefully spoon the almond cinnamon meringue mixture on top of the cake, top with a sprinkling of sliced almonds and continue to bake for 25-35 minutes. 

Cool in tin for 20 minutes, when removing the cake from the tin; place the cake on a short cup, release the spring latch and slide the side of the tin down; that way you will not remove any meringue topping by pulling the tin upwards.

Store in an airtight container. Best served at room temperature or slightly heated.