Siobhan Rogers: Happy Cake Day

Sunday, March 8, 2015

Happy Cake Day

Hi All

Here is the Recipe from the Sydney - saturday Daily Telegraph

Chocolate Sponge layer cake

An impressive layer cake to serve up at any occasion!

The chocolate sponge is a good go to recipe for kids to make, its simple and light and great for any occasion.

I used fresh cream and burnt salted caramel for the filling as it’s the kids favourite at the moment.

Anything can be used for the filling like jam with fresh cream, nutella with fresh cream or even a butter cream icing.

The choices are endless. For the outside I have used a swiss meringue because it is very forgiving when you are trying to ice the outside of a big cake and perfect when kids are decorating. My miss 8 who is by no means a cooking oficionado (I promise she really isn’t) decorated this cake, again you could do a butter cream icing.

*Chocolate Sponge Cake with burnt salted caramel and fresh whipped cream in the middle and Swiss meringue on the outside.

Ingredients and Directions

Chocolate Sponge

4 eggs

1 cup of caster sugar

30g butter

3 tablespoons of cocoa

4 tablespoons of boiling water

1 ¼ cups of self raising flour

Grease and line two 8 inch round high sided cake tins.

Set oven to 150c fan forced

Beat eggs together in your electric mixer, gradually adding sugar beat until pale and fluffy and sugar has dissolved.

In a separate bowl put the cocoa, butter and boiling water together, mix until a chocolate smooth paste forms.

Fold the chocolate paste into the egg mixture.

Sift flour into the wet mix and fold until combined – try not to over mix as all the air will come out.

Divide the mixture evenly between the two cake tins and bake for 30-35minutes.

The sponge is cooked when it springs back after lightly touching.

Remove from the tins and let them cool on a wire rack.

300ml Thickened Cream

Beat cream

Burnt Salted Caramel

*this is an adult step as the caramel is extremely hot

2 cups of white sugar

200grams Butter cut into cubes

1 cup of thickened cream

1 tablespoon sea salt flakes or to taste

Pour the sugar into a heavy based saucepan and cook on medium heat until the sugar starts to melt, use a small whisk to mix the hot sugar in the pan so that it cooks evenly.

Continue cooking until the caramel reaches a temperature of about 175c or until it is a deep amber colour, at this point it can burn very quickly.

When the caramel is the right colour and just before it is burnt take it off the heat and add in the butter whisking till the butter melts. Add in the cream and whisk till all combine.

Let the caramel cool in the pan and then pour into jars or bowls, let it cool to room temperature and the refridgerate until needed.

Swiss Meringue

10 egg whites

2 ½ cups caster sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla paste

use the bowl of your electric mixer and place the egg whites and sugar in it, place the mixing bowl over a pan with water in it (double boiler) and slowly whisk the eggs until they reach a *temperature of 70c

*this cooks the eggs whites and also makes the meringue stable

Once the mixture is hot enough put it into the mixer and beat the egg whites until they are cool – around 10/15 minutes. Put the swiss meringue aside until you are ready to use it.

Cake assembly

Find a flat plate that will fit the cake and place the bottom of the cake on the plate, I put my cake down with the flat side up (Its up to you and makes no real difference).

Spread the burnt salted caramel (or flavour of your choice) onto the cake and then top that with the fresh whipped cream, drizzle more of the caramel on top of the cream.

Place the other cake on top and double check that it looks level – it doesn’t have to be perfect, you just don’t want it to be the leaning tower of Pisa and the top slide off.