J is for Jello ... Strawberry Sponge Flan
ETA (picture added 10/25/2015) : Zsusza, this is the special dessert I was talking about.
I bet you thought I had abandoned my ABC themed posts. I was stumped at "J" because I wanted to try something different ... like jicama, but I never found the inspiration in terms of a recipe I wanted to try. So, I fell back on that old reliable ingredient, Jello.
The dessert that I was going to make was one of my mom's summer regulars.
NOTE: The flan mentioned in this post is the British/Irish sponge cake version of flan not the Spanish style custard flan.
If you want to make this dessert yourself, you'll need to get hold of the special sponge flan tin so that the finished base will have the raised edge necessary to keep the fruit and jello from sliding off.
The tin we have was made in Germany and, even though we lived there for 6 months before coming to Canada, I find it hard to believe that my mother brought it with her in her suitcase. It would make a nice story though. :)
Underside of sponge flan tin
Top
The fruit was always strawberry at our house, and usually the jello was as well. However, my mom didn't read English very well so, sometimes, it was raspberry or cherry jello. We didn't care. We just ate a big slice of the cake with a dollop of sweetened whipping cream on top. My mom's version was very simple ... cake, sliced strawberries and the jello to glue the strawberries to the cake. However, I decided to go a bit overboard and made the fancy version I found on line.
If you don't want to make your own base, you can check out the ready made sponge cake sold in your local grocery store chain. Food Basics, a discount Canadian chain grocery store, even has the individual sponge flan bases for sale in packages of 4 ... for a pittance. But, I really wanted to use my mom's tin, so I found a recipe, and made my own. Don't be in a hurry and let the cake cool thoroughly before you try to unmold it or you'll lose 1/3 of the rim like I did. I stuck it back on, and with the other toppings, you can barely tell.
"Strawberry Sponge Flan" ready for its Jello topping
The finished "Strawberry Sponge Flan".
Sponge Flan/Cake Base
1 26 cm (10 1/2 inch) sponge flan tin
3 eggs (room temperature)
180 gm (6 oz) unsalted butter (room temperature)
180 gm granulated sugar
180 gm all purpose flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
vegetable oil for oiling the tin
1-2 tbsp all purpose flour for coating the tin
Bring the unsalted butter and eggs to room temperature.
Beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Finally, add the flour and baking powder and mix until thick and smooth.
Lightly oil the tin, then dust with flour to make it easier to remove the flan after baking.
Preheat the oven 175°C (350°F).
Put the sponge batter into the pan and smooth the top. Rap against the counter 2-3 times to get rid of any air pockets.
Ready to bake
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and dry.
Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack freeing the edges if needed before unmolding.
Strawberry Sponge Flan - serves 6 to 8
1 sponge flan base
1 cup of vanilla pudding or pastry cream (I used a canned Creme Anglaise)
2 cups (16 oz) strawberries
~1/3 cup jam (any flavour, though I used raspberry which I warmed and sieved to remove the seeds)
1 package strawberry jello (you'll only need half the jello you've made, ~1 cup)
1 cup whipping cream, sweetened with 1-2 tbsp of granulated sugar (optional)
Wash the strawberries, drain well and dry in a clean towel. Hull and cut in half.
When the sponge cools, spread it with a thin layer of the jam. The jam will prevent the pudding from soaking into the sponge cake.
Sieved raspberry jam spread over the flan base
Pour the cooled pudding or pastry cream on top of the jam-glazed sponge.
Carefully arrange the strawberries on top of the tart and refrigerate while preparing the jello.
Make the jello according to package directions. Refrigerate for about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so and when thickened enough to still pour but not be liquid enough to soak into the cake, carefully spoon the jello over the fruit. You'll only need about half the jello you've made if you're using the vanilla pudding. Pour the rest of the jello into a couple of bowls along with any extra strawberries, let set and enjoy.
Refrigerate until the jello is set or overnight. Slice the cake into large wedges with a very sharp knife and serve with a spoonful of sweetened whipping cream.
Leftovers
I bet you thought I had abandoned my ABC themed posts. I was stumped at "J" because I wanted to try something different ... like jicama, but I never found the inspiration in terms of a recipe I wanted to try. So, I fell back on that old reliable ingredient, Jello.
The dessert that I was going to make was one of my mom's summer regulars.
NOTE: The flan mentioned in this post is the British/Irish sponge cake version of flan not the Spanish style custard flan.
If you want to make this dessert yourself, you'll need to get hold of the special sponge flan tin so that the finished base will have the raised edge necessary to keep the fruit and jello from sliding off.
The tin we have was made in Germany and, even though we lived there for 6 months before coming to Canada, I find it hard to believe that my mother brought it with her in her suitcase. It would make a nice story though. :)
Underside of sponge flan tin
Top
The fruit was always strawberry at our house, and usually the jello was as well. However, my mom didn't read English very well so, sometimes, it was raspberry or cherry jello. We didn't care. We just ate a big slice of the cake with a dollop of sweetened whipping cream on top. My mom's version was very simple ... cake, sliced strawberries and the jello to glue the strawberries to the cake. However, I decided to go a bit overboard and made the fancy version I found on line.
If you don't want to make your own base, you can check out the ready made sponge cake sold in your local grocery store chain. Food Basics, a discount Canadian chain grocery store, even has the individual sponge flan bases for sale in packages of 4 ... for a pittance. But, I really wanted to use my mom's tin, so I found a recipe, and made my own. Don't be in a hurry and let the cake cool thoroughly before you try to unmold it or you'll lose 1/3 of the rim like I did. I stuck it back on, and with the other toppings, you can barely tell.
"Strawberry Sponge Flan" ready for its Jello topping
The finished "Strawberry Sponge Flan".
Sponge Flan/Cake Base
1 26 cm (10 1/2 inch) sponge flan tin
3 eggs (room temperature)
180 gm (6 oz) unsalted butter (room temperature)
180 gm granulated sugar
180 gm all purpose flour
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp baking powder
vegetable oil for oiling the tin
1-2 tbsp all purpose flour for coating the tin
Bring the unsalted butter and eggs to room temperature.
Beat together the butter, sugar, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl. Mix in the eggs one at a time. Finally, add the flour and baking powder and mix until thick and smooth.
Lightly oil the tin, then dust with flour to make it easier to remove the flan after baking.
Preheat the oven 175°C (350°F).
Put the sponge batter into the pan and smooth the top. Rap against the counter 2-3 times to get rid of any air pockets.
Ready to bake
Bake for 18-20 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean and dry.
Let the cake cool completely on a wire rack freeing the edges if needed before unmolding.
Strawberry Sponge Flan - serves 6 to 8
1 sponge flan base
1 cup of vanilla pudding or pastry cream (I used a canned Creme Anglaise)
2 cups (16 oz) strawberries
~1/3 cup jam (any flavour, though I used raspberry which I warmed and sieved to remove the seeds)
1 package strawberry jello (you'll only need half the jello you've made, ~1 cup)
1 cup whipping cream, sweetened with 1-2 tbsp of granulated sugar (optional)
Wash the strawberries, drain well and dry in a clean towel. Hull and cut in half.
When the sponge cools, spread it with a thin layer of the jam. The jam will prevent the pudding from soaking into the sponge cake.
Sieved raspberry jam spread over the flan base
Pour the cooled pudding or pastry cream on top of the jam-glazed sponge.
Carefully arrange the strawberries on top of the tart and refrigerate while preparing the jello.
Make the jello according to package directions. Refrigerate for about 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes or so and when thickened enough to still pour but not be liquid enough to soak into the cake, carefully spoon the jello over the fruit. You'll only need about half the jello you've made if you're using the vanilla pudding. Pour the rest of the jello into a couple of bowls along with any extra strawberries, let set and enjoy.
Refrigerate until the jello is set or overnight. Slice the cake into large wedges with a very sharp knife and serve with a spoonful of sweetened whipping cream.
Leftovers