RECIPE: Basic Sponge Cake

This versatile basic sponge cake which is also fatless, is a great recipe to have in your repertoire and is very popular at Cookery School as it can be decorated and filled in so many ways.

Sponge cakes: basic principles

• Sponge cakes need air to make them light and fluffy.
• Most sponge cakes are made by creaming butter and sugar at the start and adding eggs, however this recipe starts beating eggs and sugar until they are very light and mousse like. This is how the air is beaten into the cake.
• When folding in the flour be careful not to over mix, so that you hold as much air as possible in the cake.
• Always make sure your cakes are cooled before adding icing or toppings.

Basic Sponge Cake

Makes 2 8″ cakes

INGREDIENTS
6 eggs
6 ozs sugar
6 ozs cake flour – Shipton Mill organic white flour is suitable
pinch of salt

METHOD
1. Preheat the oven to 400ºF/190ºC.
2. Break the whole eggs into a large bowl.

3. Add the sugar and beat the eggs and sugar until thick and creamy. This process is easier if one is able to use an electric beater.
4. Carefully fold the flour and salt into the very thick, white egg mixture.
5. Pour into 2 8″ tins that have been papered on the base but not greased on the sides.

6. Bake in the preheated oven for about 20 minutes or until the top is firm and when pressed, springs back. A skewer inserted into the cake will also come out clean.

7. Allow to cool before removing from tins and filling and topping.
8. A filling of whipped cream with a spoonful or two of lemon curd folded in is delicious. Put one layer of cream onto the cake and then a layer of fresh strawberries, cover with a second layer of whipped cream. This will ensure that top sponge adheres to the cream. If you do not do this, the cakes will not hold together.

9. Sprinkle two teaspoonfuls of icing sugar over the top of the cake through a small strainer.
10. Imperative to eat whilst fresh.

 

Want to learn more about the world of cakes? Check out our Cakes class, or our Special Celebratory Cakes class.

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