photo courtesy Edible Santa Barbara – this cake looks perfect to me – has a lovely, sturdy but not tough crumb – not too fine…….
Certain recipes evoke springtime in the halls of my memory – one is for Spongecake.
Well, you know I just got back from California – currently the land of Strawberry Heaven – during the third week of, yes, March! Not, May, not June, but March! Driving along 101N last week, I could see the bright red awesome bobs waiting for the picking! Sublime and oh-so-happy sight!
That got me to thinking about a photo I’d seen last week and then the song started…….. “Nibblin on Spongecake, watchin the sun bake……”, a song that, when I hum it, makes me think of warm, sunny days, and maybe even a dessert out on the patio….. and I was homesick for California again.
This morning I got to thinking again about the wondrous glory that is California farming country, the astounding bounty available to the west coasters during basically, the entire year and the grand efforts of organic farmers – everywhere. I turned to the pages of my latest edition of Edible Santa Barbara, remembering having a little discussion with Christin last week about how Grammy (my Mom) used to make the best Sponge Cakes. Yes, she did. And the one I think she may have loved to make the most was her Jelly Roll version.
Jelly Rolls have sort of gone out of favor in lieu of more glamourous cake iterations these days, but I still look back very fondly on the outpouring of my Mom’s oven that included many of these. Yes, they are somewhat nostalgic, but I think this little number, like a classic black dress, is timeless. Spongecake has to be very well done, though – no chalkiness, not too dry, not too moist – light and airy but with a good structure and a lovely fresh and bright taste. Sometimes they can be ordinary and flat tasting – and being a finicky sort, can be a problem if not taken care of properly in the oven. They can be very nicely, but lightly flavored, if you would like – orange, lemon, almond or other nuts, even chocolate or rum or other liqueurs. Take a look around and experiment on your own – you’ll probably find a fun taste profile to suit you – or perhaps many. I personally plan on experimenting with some herb additions – like Lemon Verbena (love you Chef at Le Sireneuse -Positano!).
Here are some good recipes for Spongecake. I won’t list every one here – you can have fun looking yourself. I don’t know the original source of my Mom’s exactly, but I am guessing it came from either Better Homes and Gardens or her Woman’s Home Companion cookbook.
THE SPONGE CAKE RECIPE – adapted from Edible Santa Barbara, Spring 2014
1/2 cup cake flour or all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp salt
7 eggs at room temp, separated
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp almond extract
zest of 1/2 lemon
1/2 cup granulated sugar
powdered sugar
1 cup Strawberry Jam – recipe follows
Strawberries for garnish
Preheat oven to 400F. Butter a 15″x10″ x 1″ jelly roll pan. Line with parchment paper and butter the paper.
Sift the flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl. In the bowl of an electric mixer or fitted with a whisk attachment, or by hand, beat the egg yolks, sugar and vanilla on high speed for about 1 minute or until foamy. Add half of the flour mixture, and gently mix, by hand, with a rubber spatula, just until combined. Repeat with the remaining flour mixture. In a clean mixing bowl, beat the egg whites on high speed, for 2-3 minutes, until stiff peaks form. Gently fold the egg whites into the batter, one third at a time, just until combined. Pour into prepared pan and bake 8-10 minutes – or until cake springs back when you press gently. Cool completely.
Sprinkle a piece of parchment paper the size of the pan with powdered sugar. Run a knife around the edges of the pan to loosen the cake and then turn the pan onto the paper. Remove the parchment paper and spread with the strawberry jam. Beginning with the long side facing you, roll the cake into a tight roll and place the seam side down. Sprinkle with a little more powdered sugar. Serve with fresh, sliced strawberries for garnish.
My Mom’s variation: Beat 1/2 pint of heavy cream to which 2 tblsp powdered sugar have been added, until thick – do not overbeat to butter stage. Spread a nice layer of this cream onto the parchment paper side of the cake. Arrange sliced fresh strawberries all around the cake. Roll up cake as instructed above.
To serve: Cut slices with a serrated knife, being careful to saw through the cake, notpressing down to crush the cake.
If you look around you will find American spongecakes, Italian Spongecakes, French spongecakes and British spongecakes – perhaps, like so many classics, every country has their own to show as favorite. I took to looking for a couple of other good recipes to share. First stop, David Lebovitz, who’s new book, My Paris Kitchen is due out on April 8th. In my estimation, his books are not to be missed. Here’s his recipe for Gateau de savoie and a few others to peruse and try:
http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2012/06/gateau-de-savoie-spongecake-recipe/
http://www.thedailymeal.com/web_recipes/victoria-sponge-cake/e81a4f48-071f-11e1-bb46-38607703
http://www.joyofbaking.com/AmericanSpongeCake.html
Nick Malgieri also has a good collection in his great book, Perfect Cakes. Or try Carol Walter’s Great Cakes. If I get all of my favorite cake books out, I’ll bury myself.
Another publication to savor from SB:
And so, while celebrating Springtime’s arrival, even though it’s still chilly outside, you can dream of these – and perhaps fill one with billowy whipped cream and some delectable fresh Strawberries. Soon, yes, soon.
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And, not at all related to Spongecake:
time for roasting for Cauliflower Purée