The Simple Sponge Cake

With the amount of homework that I have due in the next week, I'm moving back into a cave. But before going I thought that I would leave you with something that I made years ago (so there are no "in process" pictures) because I haven't had much time to bake/cook in the past few days. This recipe is simple to make and easy to decorate, so you don't have to spend to much time in doors and can keep enjoying the sun while still having something home made for brunch on Mothers Day.

Also, this recipe was requested by one of my oldest friends, so here you go Nolwazi (Yes, after hours of thinking I have come to a conclusion that you are the oldest of my friends with whom I am still in touch!)! As I mentioned I made this cake years ago , it was for my farewell party that my closest friends organized for me (I know, weird I made my own cake) when I was leaving Swaziland (a small country in the corner of Africa. Its so small that everybody knows everybody). Its the place that I still call home :)

Over the past three years, all of us have grown up, but fortunately we have not grown apart. We might not see each other everyday, we don't even talk all the time, but I choose to believe that we are still just as close :) We have survived college, graduated and gotten jobs, some married, some engaged and started new chapters in our life, but all thanks to technology we are still in touch. :)

Okay, okay...enough reminiscing, getting to the point, the cake I made is called 'hot milk sponge cake'. This is one of the simplest sponge cake as it has no special needs, and contains a ridiculously small amount of butter, which means no guilt in going for the second piece! The name comes from the fact that the milk is boiled and not added straight out of the fridge.

I filled in between the layers and covered it graciously with whipped cream. I choose to slice up marshmallows and use m n m's (smarties in Africa) to decorate the cake once frosted. I do not have a bag of marshmallows on hand, but I'll come up with a tutorial on how to make the flowers soon. I find this a relatively easy cake to make, and once you cover the icing with decorations, any imperfections are hidden, so if you don't have a steady hand like yours truly, then no problem!

These pictures are from a more recent cake, I used cream cheese frosting instead of whipped cream. Personal opinion whipped cream tastes better, but my husband is a bigger fan of cream cheese icing :)

Hot Milk Sponge Cake
Adapted from New Cook Book, Better Homes & Gardens

Ingredients
Cake
2 eggs
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 cup granulated white sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter

Frosting
1/2 cup Whipping cream
Couple of tablespoons of sifted powdered (icing) sugar, to taste

Extra tools
coconut flakes
marshmallows
m n m's

Method
Cake
1. Preheat oven to 350*F and grease a 9 inch round pan.
2. Sift together flour and baking powder, set aside.
3. Beat eggs until they are a pale yellow. Slowly add in sugar, while beating.
4. Once all the sugar has been added, beat in high for 2-3 mins, until the mixture is light and fluffy.
5. Slowly add in the flour mixture, while beating on low, once completely incorporated. Set aside.
6. In a small microwave safe bowl, place milk and butter. Cover and heat in microwave for about 45 seconds, up to a minute depending on the microwave.
7. Pour heated milk and butter in to the flour mixture and beat until well mixed.
8. Pour batter into the prepared pan and bake for 20 - 25 minutes depending on your oven or until toothpick comes out clean.

Frosting
1. Place a bowl (best to use a stainless steel or glass) in the freezer before you start baking, this way you can make the frosting while the cake is baking.
2. Pour in whipping cream into bowl. Make sure that you use whipping cream straight from the fridge.
3. Beat the whipping cream on high for about 5-7 mins (time may increase depending on your mixer).
4. Check to see if the stiffened cream now forms peaks that remaining standing, if so fold in the powder sugar or continue beating at 1 min intervals.
5. Cover with cling wrap, until cake has cooled.

Decorating
1. Once the cake has cooled, cover it with the whipping cream, it doesn't have to be perfect, as most of it will be cover with either the marshmallow flowers or coconut flakes.
2. Once the cake is covered in frosting, take handfuls of coconut flakes and holding the dish the cake is on at an angle, sprinkle onto the sides, this will cover up all the kinks in the icing :)
3. Lastly, cut the marshmallows across the length into circle to use as petals and the m n m's as centers. Each flower will be about 5-6 petals, depending on the size of your marshmallows. Spread them around on the top. As many or as little as you wish :)

Note: for the cake in the pictures I made 2 9 inch cakes to layer and whip at least 1 cup of whipping cream.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY TO ALL MY MOM FRIENDS OUT THERE!

Enjoy!

Farhana