I am new to this and have iced a few cakes before, but this halloween i want to make a 3 tier pumpkin cake. The thing is i want to know what is the best type of cake for carving? Also what are the english versions of all your fab recipes?
Thanks Del xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Brilliant for carving. I have had great results in using this to carve.
HD= High Density
This sponge is;-
close textured ie small air pockets.
light to the bite unlike Madeira which tends to be heavy to the bite
great for all types of celebration cakes and due to the close texture is suitable for carving.
Basic information
Sponge flour is not the bog standard SR flour. Sponge flour is marketed by McDougalls. Its made from a softer grain of wheat and as such has a lower gluten content than regular flour.
Eggs are always weighed without their shell, so you can use what ever size eggs you buy as long as the weight of egg you add to the mixture is right.
On no account should soft margarine be used ie the type you buy in a plastic container as this type of margarine is prone to splitting due to the low fat content (you will not know that the fat has split till the cake has baked ie when you torte the cake you will see streaks of what looks like under cooked cake ie darker colour). The margarine used in this recipe must have at least a 70% fat content. If you prefer you can use butter instead of block margarine.
I work on a seven day shelf life - bake the cake on Thursday decorate the cake on Friday for the celebration on Saturday. I do know customers who have eating this cake after this time and who state it still tasted nice, but that is their choice and as such I would not recommend this.
Basic recipe is
4 oz (120g) Sponge Flour
4 1/2 oz (135g) Caster Sugar
4 oz (120g) Block Margarine
4 oz (120g) Egg
1 tbsp (15 ml) cold water
The margarine or butter used in this recipe must be soft ie the same consistency of the soft tub margarine - so take it out of the fridge the day before and if necessary blast in the microwave for a few seconds.
For shaped cake tins always use the quantity of mixture stated for a round cake example;-
8 inch heart = 8 inch round cake mix
10 inch hexagonal = 10 inch round cake mix
A sponge cake portion is classed as 1 inch x 2 inches (2.5cm x 5cm)
The number of portions shown allows for a slight degree of error when cutting
5" Round - Portions = 7
4 oz (120g) Sponge Flour
4 1/2 oz (135g) Caster Sugar
4 oz (120g) Block Margarine
4 oz (120g) Egg
1 tbsp (15 ml) cold water
6" Round - Portions = 11
6 oz Block margarine (softened)
6 3/4 oz Caster sugar
6 oz Eggs (approx 3 large eggs)
6 oz Sponge flour
1 ½ tbsp cold water
7" Round - Portions = 15
8oz Block margarine (softened)
9 oz Caster sugar
8 oz Sponge flour
8 oz Eggs (approx 4 large eggs)
2 tbsp cold water
8" Round - Portions - 20
10oz Block margarine (softened)
11 ¼ oz Caster sugar
10 oz Sponge flour
10 oz Eggs (approx 5 large eggs)
2 ½ tbsp cold water
9" Round - Portions - 27
14 oz Block margarine (softened)
15 3/4 oz Caster sugar
14 oz Eggs (approx 7 large eggs)
14 oz Sponge flour
31/2 tbsp cold water
10" Round - Portions - 34
18 oz Block margarine (softened)
20 1/4 oz Caster sugar
18 oz Eggs (approx 9 large eggs)
18 oz Sponge flour
4 1/2 tbsp cold water
11" Round - Portions - 43
To achieve the right depth the quantity of mixture required will be too great for your mixing bowl, so bake two separate cakes each cake to be made from
12 oz Block margarine (softened)
13 1/2 oz Caster sugar
12 oz Eggs (approx 6 large eggs)
12 oz Sponge flour
3 tbsp cold water
12 Round - Portions - 50
To achieve the right depth the quantity of mixture required will be too great for you mixing bowl, so bake two separate cakes each cake to be made from
14 oz Block margarine (softened)
15 3/4 oz Caster sugar
14 oz Eggs (approx 7 large eggs)
14 oz Sponge flour
3 1/2 tbsp cold water
4" Square - Portions = 6
4 oz (120g) Sponge Flour
4 1/2 oz (135g) Caster Sugar
4 oz (120g) Block Margarine
4 oz (120g) Egg
1 tbsp (15 ml) cold water
5" Square - Portions = 10
6 oz Block margarine (softened)
6 3/4 oz Caster sugar
6 oz Eggs (approx 3 large eggs)
6 oz Sponge flour
1 ½ tbsp cold water
6" Square - Portions - 16
8oz Block margarine (softened)
9 oz Caster sugar
8 oz Sponge flour
8 oz Eggs (approx 4 large eggs)
2 tbsp cold water
7" Square - Portions - 20
10oz Block margarine (softened)
11 ¼ oz Caster sugar
10 oz Sponge flour
10 oz Eggs (approx 5 large eggs)
2 ½ tbsp cold water
8" Square - Portions - 28
14 oz Block margarine (softened)
15 3/4 oz Caster sugar
14 oz Eggs (approx 7 large eggs)
14 oz Sponge flour
4 tbsp cold water
9" Square - Portions - 36
18 oz Block margarine (softened)
20 1/4 oz Caster sugar
18 oz Eggs (approx 9 large eggs)
18 oz Sponge flour
4 1/2 tbsp cold water
10" Square - Portions - 46
22 oz block margarine
24 3/4 oz Caster sugar
22 oz eggs (approx 11 large eggs)
22 oz sponge flour
5 1/2 tbsp cold water
11" Square - Portions - 58
To achieve the right depth the quantity of mixture required will be too great for your mixing bowl, so bake two separate cakes. Each cake to be made from
14oz Block margarine (softened)
15 3/4 oz Caster sugar
14 oz Sponge flour
14 oz Eggs (approx 7 large eggs)
3 1/2 tbsp cold water
12 Square - Portions - 66
To achieve the right depth the quantity of mixture required will be too great for your mixing bowl, so bake two separate cakes. Each cake to be made from
18 oz Block margarine (softened)
20 1/4 oz Caster sugar
18 oz Eggs (approx 9 large eggs)
18 oz Sponge flour
4 1/2 tbsp cold water
14" Square - Portions - 96
To achieve the right depth the quantity of mixture required will be too great for your mixing bowl, so bake two separate cakes. Each cake to be made from
22 oz Block margarine (softened)
24 3/4 oz Caster sugar
22 oz Eggs (approx 11 large eggs)
22 oz Sponge flour
5 1/2 tbsp cold water
10"x 8" oblong - Portions - 38
18 oz Block margarine (softened)
20 1/4 oz Caster sugar
18 oz Eggs (approx 9 large eggs)
18 oz Sponge flour
4 1/2 tbsp cold water
12" x 10" oblong - Portions - 58
To achieve the right depth the quantity of mixture required will be too great for your mixing bowl, so bake two separate cakes. Each cake to be made from
14 oz Block margarine (softened)
15 3/4 oz Caster sugar
14 oz Eggs (approx 7 large eggs)
14 oz Sponge flour
3 1/2 tbsp cold water
8" x 13" Oblong - Portions - 48
22 oz block margarine
24 3/4 oz Caster sugar
22 oz eggs (approx 11 large eggs)
22 oz sponge flour
5 1/2 tbsp cold water
6" x 4" Oval - Portions
4 oz Sponge Flour
4 1/2 oz Caster Sugar
4 oz block margarine (softened)
4 oz egg (approx 2 large eggs)
1 tbsp cold water
8" x 6" Oval - Portions 15
8oz Block margarine (softened)
9 oz Caster sugar
8 oz Sponge flour
8 oz Eggs (approx 4 large eggs)
2 tbsp cold water
8" x 10" Oval - Portions - 30
16 oz of Sponge flour
18 oz caster sugar
16 oz block margarine (softened)
16 oz egg (approx 8 large eggs)
3 3/4 tbsp cold water
10" x 12" Oval - Portions 43
22 oz block margarine
24 3/4 oz Caster sugar
22 oz eggs (approx 11 large eggs)
22 oz sponge flour
5 1/2 tbsp cold water
Method
Fan assist oven 130 C, regular electric ovens 160 C or Gas mark 2
I tend to use the covered cake tin method for all cakes less than 11 inches, for cakes 11 inches and over I highly recommend that you use the Wilton bake even strips. The reason for doing this is to stop the outside of the cake becoming to dark/crispy before the cake is cooked in the middle, plus the fact that using this method also stops the cake doming too much.
This cake is made using the all in one method (ie place all the ingredients in the bowl and mix)
Place all sponge cake ingredients in a mixing bowl, mix on slow speed till there are no lumps of fat visible (this is why the fat needs to be soft), mix on medium speed for two minutes then full speed for a further minute.
Pour the mixture into lined cake tin a bake till cooked (6 inch approx. 1 hour, 9 inch 1 hour 20 minutes, 12 inch 1hour 45 minutes).
Leave to cool on a cooling rack.
Variations
Lemon sponge
Add the zest of one lemon for every 4oz of sponge flour used.
Once the baked cake is emptied out of the cake tin brush all the surfaces of the cake with lemon stock syrup
Lemon Stock Syrup
2 tbsp of caster sugar dissolve in
2 tbsp of hot water, then add
2 tbsp of fresh lemon juice.
Filling - lemon curd
Orange sponge
Add the zest of one Orange for every 4oz of sponge flour used.
Once the baked cake is emptied out of the cake tin brush all the surfaces of the cake with orange stock syrup
Orange Stock Syrup
2 tbsp of caster sugar dissolve in
2 tbsp of hot water, then add
2 tbsp of fresh orange juice.
Filling - orange curd
Chocolate cake
Replace 1 oz of sponge flour for cocoa for every 4oz of sponge flour used ie if the recipe stated 8 oz of sponge flour this would be altered to 6 oz of sponge flour and 2 oz of cocoa.
Recommended filling - Cadbury's chocolate spread or Nutella
Baileys sponge
Replace the water with Bailey's, but double the quantity ie. if the recipe states 2 tablespoons of water you replace it with 4 tablespoons of bailey's.
Filling - Butter cream with bailey's added.
Once the cake is torted I normally sprinkle the sponge with Bailey's before reassembling.
Coffee and walnut.
Replace half the water for coffee flavouring (2 tbsp coffee dissolved in 1 tbsp boiling water) add 1 1/4 oz of chopped walnuts for ever 4 oz of sponge flour used
Filling - butter cream with coffee flavouring added
Caraway seed sponge
Add 1 tbsp of caraway seeds for every 4oz of sponge flour used.
This cake does not require any type of filling.
_________________
HD sponge recipe
http://bsguk.org
Quote by @%username% on %date%
%body%