Sponge Cake with Fresh Fruit and Cream

This is truly one ‘special’ cake. Light in texture and in sweetness. The perfect gift for a special occasion. Watch the short outline Video on how to make this perfect cake!

Makes ONE LARGE 9 INCH ROUND CAKE

Total time is not the inclusive time required for chilling the sponge, whipping cream, etc..

The Recipe Intro⇓ includes step-by-step pictures on how to make this Sponge Cake with Fresh Fruit and Cream. Check it out.

Ingredients:

You can now watch the Detailed Video (with recipe) on Making the Sponge Cake on this New Post.

Ingredients for the sponge cake:

Chilled Eggs (You will need 8 yolks + 10 whites)		10
Cream of Tartar		¾ tsp
Castor Sugar (fine grain)		1 cup
Cake Flour		1 cup + 2 Tbsp
Salt		½ tsp
Vanilla extract		1 ½ tsp
Store bought Orange or Pineapple Juice (no pulp please) + ¾ Tbsp Water mixed together and set aside		2 Tbsp
Sunflower or Vegetable oil		½ cup

For the Whipped Cream and Filling/Deco:

Unflavored gelatin		1 ½ Tbsp
Cool water		½ cup
Heavy whipping cream (35%-40% butterfat content)		3 ½ cups
Sifted icing sugar (confectioners sugar) - or a bit more if desired		¼ cup
Strawberries, Kiwi , Mango (Best combination) - Other berries if desired. I used 1 Kiwi fruit, around 8 strawberries and 1 sweet mango all diced up for the whipped cream layers. And more for decorating.		As needed:

Method:

Preparation:

1. Before you begin, place a Large steel bowl, as well as your wire whisk in the freezer for 15-20 minutes (for whipping the cream). (If you live in a very cold climate or are working in air-conditioned spaces, this is not required).
2. Keep the whipping cream chilled  (in the fridge) till ready to use.
3. Take out the eggs from the fridge. Separate the whites and yolks into separate bowls while the eggs are cold. Make sure there’s no trace of yellow in the white. Cover and set aside. Allow to come down to room temperature.
4. Put the 1 cup sugar for the cake in a food processor and process for 30 seconds – 1 minute to create a fine granulated sugar: a must for our light as air cake. Don’t powder it though. Set aside.
5. Sift the Cake flour and salt together repeatedly for 3 times.  First sift, using a wire sieve into a wide bowl. Then drop onto waxed lunch paper or parchment paper and use this paper to easily drop the flour back into the sieve easily. Repeat this process two more times(Refer Video). Set aside.
   
6. Mix the oil, juice and water solution as well as vanilla extract in a cup and set aside, allowing to bring to room temperature.

Make the whipped cream : 

1.  In a small cup, combine gelatin and cool water. Let stand briefly until thickened.
2. Microwave just until the gelatin dissolves (about 30 s -1 m) OR melt on low heat in a saucepan.
3. Cool for 3 minutes.
4. Then, stir in ½ cup of the chilled cream and allow to cool off COMPLETELY in the fridge; about 5 minutes (do not allow to set into jelly- it should thicken but remain pourable).
5. Take out the cold mixing bowl and whisk from the freezer. To this, add the remaining chilled cream + the icing sugar and Whip until slightly thick.  (Start on slow speed to avoid sugar dust).
6. While slowly beating, add the Gelatin-Cream mixture (start on low speed slowly increasing to prevent kitchen splatter!)
7. Whip at high speed until stiff.  (Once soft peaks start forming you will need to watch carefully. Do not walk away! You might even want to whisk by hand to finish off.  Stop when you achieve the correct consistency OR you will make butter not whipped cream!!!) Refrigerate till ready to use.

TO SEE HOW TO MAKE simple whipped cream that is not ‘stabilized’ with gelatin – see video. This whipped cream will not stay firm for as long as the stabilized version (in tropical climates).

On to the Cake:

1. Preheat the oven now to 350°F /180ºc
2. Beat the egg yolks with the fine granulated sugar that we had set aside. Beat until very pale yellow in color and ribbon-like streaks are created when lifted. Set aside
3. In another large bowl,  using a hand mixer with a wire whisk attachment, (make sure there is absolutely no residue from the previous cooking on the bowl or whisk. It should be sterile and dry for best results.) Beat the Egg Whites till foamy. Add the creme of tartar. Continue beating till soft peaks form.  At this point, it’s better to continue beating by hand till stiff peaks occur (do not overbeat).
4. Give the oil-juice mixture that we set aside a good stir.  Add this to the Yolk Mixture.  Stir to incorporate.
5. Now add the sifted flour mixture into this yolk-oil mixture,  a little at a time till all the flour is evenly incorporated.
6. Lastly, add the whipped egg white and fold into the flour batter.  This should be done with a plastic spatula or whisk, folding in the egg white quite quickly without over mixing (IMPORTANT). Also, make sure there is no thick yolk mixture at the bottom of the bowl.  Fold in gently but quickly till all the egg white is used.  (A little bit of white lines is okay but no thick bits of yellow!)  Divide & Pour into 2 (UNGREASED, ALUMINUM) cake pans equally (eyeball it).
7.  Pat gently on the countertop move from side to side and pat again to remove air bubbles. 
8. Bake 30-35 minutes or till the center is set.
9. Remove from oven and INVERT  onto elevated Wire racks.  (This will prevent the cake from sinking  and help to cool off from the bottom; a good way to elevate is to place the wire racks atop kitchen colanders or baskets.)
10. While the cakes are baking you can cut up and slice the fruits for filling and toppings.
11. Once the cakes are cooled completely, use a sharp knife to go around the edge of the pans to release the cake onto flat plates. Slice each cake into two using a broad serrated knife. (I find the plastic serrated cake knife you get along with birthday cakes works well for this purpose if you don’t have a professional one.)
12. Mix the chopped fruit into some of the whipped cream (reserve the rest plain for the topping on the sides and top of the cake).
13. Spread a thin layer of this fruit cream topping on the bottom cake slice. Repeat this with the next two layers of cake.
14. Then place the top-most layer of cake and start to frost the top and sides with the remaining (plain) whipped cream. Use plastic smooth or ridge-edged cake decorators to go around the edges or an offset spatula.
15. Decorate with some piped whip cream and some sliced fruits. 
16. Enjoy your Sponge Cake with Fresh Fruit and Cream.
    

 

Sponge Cake with Fresh Fruit and Cream

Notes:

• Make sure your bowl, whisk, and whipping cream are all chilled before making the whipped cream or it simply will not get peaks. If you live in a humid climate and the temperature rises drastically when you take out the utensils from the freezer it’s better to place the mixing bowl in a basin of ice and cold water to ensure the cream gets whipped!
• When whisking egg whites it is absolutely essential that your bowl and wire whisk are free from any residue. I like to wash these utensils with vinegar and warm water and scrub clean with soap after every use.
• Please use aluminum pans and not non-stick. (Ungreased!).
• Do not leave the cake in the oven to cool. When done immediately invert on wire racks to cool.
• If you are planning to serve your cake the next day, I would bake the cake the day before and refrigerate, then whip the cream and add the topping on the day of serving to prevent the cream from melting. Although my cream has lasted without issue overnight! Never leave the cream to whisk in the bowl to answer the phone or anything as you will risk the chance of making butter by over-beating it; Keep close watch!
• It’s a good idea to set around 3 large bowls one of which should be very large.
• Gather 3 medium bowls, 2 small bowls, measuring cups, spoons, and all the ingredients and processor/mixer/whisks before you start anything or your kitchen can get chaotic!
• I don’t recommend baking the two tins on the upper and lower racks of a smaller oven. For evenly bakes cakes, either bake on the same level or wait till one is baked to put in the second tin.

Key Ingredients: Cake Flour, Eggs, Sugar, Oil, Juice, Vanilla Extract, Whipping Cream, Gelatin, Cream of tartar, Salt.

Let us know if you tried it – Sponge Cake with Fresh Fruit and Cream.