Butter or margarine
Caster (superfine) sugar
Eggs
Self-raising (self-rising) flour
Milk or water
METHOD
1.In a mixing bowl, blend together the butter/margarine and the caster (superfine) sugar until the mixture is light and fluffy.
2.Break the eggs into a separate mixing bowl and whisk them with a fork.
3.Alternately pour the eggs and the selfraising (self-rising) flour into the butter mixture, then fold it together with a spoon.
4.Gradually add the milk/water to the mixture to soften its consistency.
5.Spoon the mixture into a lined tin (pan) and make a slight depression in the centre of the mixture. This helps to keep the cake level as it bakes.
6.After baking, use the cake immediately or freeze it either plain or buttercreamed for up to one month (see Thinking Ahead, page 23).
Levelling Sponge Cakes
Cakes are always covered with a sheet of sugarpaste (rolled fondant or ready- to-roll icing) before they are decorated. Unfortunately, any bumps or gaps in the cake will be highlighted by the covering, so it is essential that the top of the cake is perfectly smooth.
The easiest way to achieve this is to turn the tin (pan) upside down onto a clean board (see Cutting Sponge Cakes in Half, opposite) to release the cake. This prevents you from having to ‘lever’ the cake out of the tin, potentially damaging it, and gives you a nice, smooth top to decorate later. But what do you do if the top of the cake (now the bottom) is uneven and the cake will not sit flat on the board?
1.Place the cake back in the tin, with the uneven surface facing upwards.
2.Slide a sharp knife across the top of the tin, frame or novelty tin (Figs 1, 2 and 3). When you turn out the cake, it will be level on both the top and the bottom.
If the cake does not rise to the top of the tin, put a small drum inside the tin and set the cake on top of this. The cake should now sit high enough for you to level it.
Cutting Sponge Cakes in Half
Classic sponge cakes are sliced in half, then filled with buttercream and a jam (jelly) glaze, which is essentially watered-down jam that is then reduced to a glaze (see recipe, page 30). Many novices saw through the cake with a knife, more often than not ending up with two halves that resemble steeply angled ski slopes.
You can avoid this by following either of the two methods outlined below. Before you get started, place the cake on a board that has been thoroughly cleaned with kitchen paper (paper towels) and Isopropyl Alcohol (IPA) (Fig. 1), which you can find at any sugarcraft or cook shop. This cleans away dirt particles or bacteria that may have gathered on the board and prevents the growth of mould between the cake and the board. If you cannot find IPA, use any white alcohol, gin or vodka. Warm, previously boiled water will also do.
Method One
Position the cake and board on a turntable. Horizontally embed the knife midway up the cake with one hand and place your other hand on top of the cake to hold it in position. Keeping the point of the knife in the same position all the time, use the hand that is holding the top of the cake to gently rotate the turntable. You will be able to see what you are doing and will know where the point of the knife is at all times (Fig. 2). Slip a thin, 4-mm (¼-in) board beneath the top half of the cake, ease the cake onto it (Fig. 3), then set it aside.
Method Two
Again, position the cake and board on a turntable, though this is not essential. Wrap a cake wire round the cake halfway down the sides. Hold the ends of the wire in one hand and place your other hand on top of the cake to hold it in position. Pull the wire through the cake, keeping your hand at the same level all the time (Fig. 4). If you do not have a cake wire, take a length of fine food grade wire, wrap each end round a dowel, then tape over it. This will prevent the wire from moving. Lift the top half of the cake with a thin, 4-mm (¼-in) board, as in Method One.
Tools of the Trade
If you cannot find cake wire, use a length of plain dental floss. Wrap it round your fingers or tie it round two dowels, then proceed as for the cake wire (see above). This is a very hygienic way of cutting a cake, because the dental floss is disposable.
Filling Sponge Cakes
Fillings are a matter of personal choice, but many people opt to use classic buttercream, which keeps well in the refrigerator for up to one month.
Making Buttercream
INGREDIENTS
(see page 121 for specific amounts)
Butter or margarine
Icing (confectioners’) sugar
Hot water
METHOD
1.Cream the butter/margarine in a mixing bowl until it is almost white in colour.
2.Stir in the icing (confectioners’) sugar a little at a time.
3.Continue stirring in the icing sugar and gradually add the water. (The main purpose of the water in this recipe is to soften the consistency of the buttercream if necessary.)
4.Blend until the buttercream has a smooth, spreading consistency.
5.Use the buttercream immediately or freeze it in a plastic bag or airtight container for up to a month. Give it a thorough stir just before use.
If you are filling a cake with both jam (jelly) and buttercream, remove the top half of the cake, leaving the bottom half and board on a turntable, as described in Cutting Sponge Cakes in Half, page
