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.
Meringue Icing
I use a palette knife when decorating cakes but anything
flat will do like a spatula.
Do the sides first and then the top, make swirls or flatten
to your desired effect and try not to eat to much as you go…
Let me know how you go and enjoy
Siobhan Rogers Xx
my new book due in store April 2015
available at most bookstores
see my previous post for links
