Sponge Cake with Cream, Fruit & Berries
The basic sponge cake gets exotic with fresh berries, succulent figs and baby kiwis. Bake the sponges to a light golden perfection, poke them with skewers and spoon some simple vanilla syrup on top to keep them moist and sweet. The whipped cream filling adds a lavish touch to this cake’s heavenly texture. The end result will be a delightful, delicious and gorgeous dessert that your guests will devour. Mine sure did!
Place the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl and beat with a hand-mixer until creamy and pale.
Add the eggs and vanilla to the bowl, mix to combine. Then sift the flour, baking powder and salt on top. With a large, metal spoon, in a figure 8 motion, incorporate dry ingredients into the batter. Mix the batter until even and smooth, try not to overwork it. Add a dash of milk if it looks too dry.
Divide the batter between the pans and gently smooth the tops. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the sponges are evenly golden and come away from the sides of the baking pans. Let the cakes cool in their pans for 15 minutes; turn them onto the wire rack. Peel and discard the parchment paper.
In a small pan, add 2 tablespoons of water and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and let cool. Make the holes all over the sponges with tooth picks.
Then spoon over the cooled syrup.
Cut strawberries, blueberries, figs and baby kiwis in half.
Pour the cream into a large bowl, add sugar and vanilla. Whip until thickened but not stiff. Spread one cake with the cream mixture.
Top with the remaining cake. Dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar and garnish with fruit and berries.
Bon Appétit!
Svitlana
Sponge cake with cream, fruit & berries
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
For the cake
- 2 cups plain (all-purpose) flour
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 1 cup caster (superfine) sugar
- 1 teaspoons vanilla extract
- 4 free-range eggs, at room temperature
- 2 sticks unsalted butter, softened
- Pinch of salt
For the cream
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1 tablespoon caster sugar
- ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
For the vanilla syrup
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons sugar
- ½ teaspoons vanilla extract
To garnish
- Confectioners’ (icing) sugar
- 1 cup strawberries, blueberries, fresh figs and baby kiwi
Instructions
- Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line 8-inch round lightly greased cake pans with parchment paper.
- Place the butter and sugar into a large mixing bowl and beat with a hand-mixer until creamy and pale.
- Add the eggs and vanilla to the bowl, mix to combine. Then sift the flour, baking powder and salt on top. With a large, metal spoon, in a figure 8 motion, incorporate dry ingredients into the batter.
- Mix the batter until even and smooth, try not to overwork it.
- Divide the batter between the pans and gently smooth the tops. Bake for 25-30 minutes or until the sponges are evenly golden and come away from the sides of the baking pans.
- Let the cakes cool in their pans for 15 minutes; turn them onto the wire rack. Peel and discard the parchment paper.
- Make the syrup: In a small pan, add 2 tablespoons of water and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Heat gently until the sugar dissolves. Remove from heat, add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract and let cool.
- Make the holes all over the sponges with tooth picks, then spoon over the cooled syrup.
- Pour the cream into a large bowl, add sugar and vanilla. Whip until thickened but not stiff.
- Spread one cake with the cream mixture and top with the remaining cake. Dust the cake with confectioners’ sugar and garnish with fruit and berries.