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Baking 101: the 10 basics everyone should know

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Gourmandize
Sponge cake 10/10

Sponge cake

Sponge cake is one of the most basic cake recipes, especially in French pastry. It’s used as a building block for several cakes and desserts. Sponge cake is based on eggs, sugar, butter and flour, to which we commonly add hazelnut or almond powder, vanilla, alcohol, fruit or citrus zest.

Sponge cakes are usually cut in half and then filled with jam, custard cream, frosting or ganache.

For a supremely moist sponge cake, try making a syrup with lemon or orange juice that you drizzle on top of the cake while it’s still warm.


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Ingredients

  • 2 large water or soda bottles (empty)
  • 2 cups flour
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 2 sticks butter
  • 6 eggs
  • 1 tbsp baking powder
  • 1 cup heavy cream
  • 4 tbsp cocoa powder

Method

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Ready 2 large plastic bottles, cleaned and dried.
  3. Add 1 cup of flour to each bottle.
  4. Add 1/2 cup of sugar to each.
  5. Melt butter, then add equal halves to each bottle.
  6. Add 6 eggs, 3 in each.
  7. Add 1/2 tbsp of baking powder to each.
  8. Add 1/2 cup of heavy cream to each.
  9. Shake the bottles thoroughly until the contents are well mixed.
  10. In one of the bottles only, add the cocoa powder.
  11. Beginning with the cocoa powder mixture, add a dolop of batter to the center of a circular
  12. baking tin. Do the same with the other mixture, placing the dolop directly in the center of the previous one.
  13. Continue with alternating additions of each mixture until all batter is used and the tin is full.
  14. Place in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
  15. Serve and enjoy!