The Dreaded Sponge

The dreaded sponge has been something that has plagued me for years. Previously mine have always turned out more like sweet frittatas than lovely light fluffy clouds of cake, this is something I have been meaning to remedy… So I decided IT JUST CAN’T BE THAT HARD! I looked at several recipes and decided I’d put them all aside and make up my own and low and behold, I made sponge.

The day of this attempt was 40˚c and my best girlfriend told me it was just crazy talk attempting sponge on such a desperately hot and sticky day so true to form I took her wise suggestion and used it as all the inspiration that my stubborn being needed to prove everyone wrong! I set about my task with a little newly acquired knowledge, a fair lack in skill and a bucket load of determination, not to mention 4 organic eggs at room temperature (40˚c) needless to say all of which were desperately clinging to their liquid form. 

There is a bit of science in this one so allow me a small amount of time to explain. Self raising flour is just plain flour mixed with some baking powder ( I never buy it as I never get the same result as adding my own baking powder), baking powder is a combination of cream of tartar and bicarbonate of soda….. so as it was such a hot day I wanted to use the cream of tartar separately to stabilise the egg whites and allow them to go nice and stiff, therefore I have added some bicarb and some baking powder to the dry ingredients to even out the mix so in fact the recipe actually ends up with a total of about two heaped tsp of baking powder overall.

Now for those of you who haven’t already nodded off below is my recipe, give it a go I hope it gives all of those who have always struggled with this precious little cake a new found love of baking it.

                                                                           

Ingredients:

4 eggs separated

½ cup caster sugar

½ cup plain flour

½ cup corn flour

1 heaped tsp cream of tartar

1 level tsp bicarb soda

1 level tsp baking flour

50g butter

1 dessert spoon of vanilla extract (as opposed to vanilla essence)

Picture by Jamieanne

Method:

First you need to grease and line two spring form tins and set your oven to 180˚c – if you are making lamingtons just grease and line one small to medium lamington tray and vary the baking time slightly.

Cream the egg yolks with half of the caster sugar until they are thick and creamy, turning almost white in colour.

Melt your butter, mix it with vanilla extract and set it aside

Beat your egg whites with the cream of tartar until tripled in size then gradually add the sugar while beating until mix forms stiff peaks

Gently fold the yolk mixture into the whites

Sift the remaining dry ingredients into the egg mix and softly fold it through until there are no lumps and bumps but do not overwork it!

Now pour your melted butter and vanilla in and repeat the gentle action of folding. The batter will now start to become really silky and shiny

Pour half the mix into each tin and bake for about 15mins making sure a skewer comes out clean. Or pour the whole mix into a lamington tin and bake for 15-20mins

These cakes should be taken out of their tins quite quickly and allowed to cool to prevent continuing cooking from the hot tins.

To serve either fill the middle with cream and berries or do what I did and dip them in a chocolate icing mix and dust them in coconut to make the good old fashioned lamington, either would be the perfect afternoon tea for a hot summer’s day.