Hot Water Sponge Cake
Here is a super simple sponge cake recipe that my mother gave me. It's always turned out wonderfully! This is a great base for trifle, among other desserts, but it's also great drizzled with fruit purée and topped with whipped cream, or even eaten on its own. It's just about the spongiest sponge cake I've ever eaten!
Hot Water Sponge Cake
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs, whites and yolks separated
- 1/2 cup very hot (but not boiling) water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1. Preheat oven to 325F/160C. Grease or line with baking paper a 9"x9" square cake mold, or a similarly sized round one (make sure it's deep enough, this cake rises quite a bit), or 12 muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks, slowly adding the 1/2 cup of hot water and the vanilla, until smooth and pale yellow. Continue to beat, gradually adding 1/2 cup of the sugar, until well blended. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, add the salt to the egg whites and beat with an electric hand mixer until they form stiff peaks. Continue to beat, gradually adding the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.
4. Using a whisk, add about 1/4 of the egg whites to the yolk mixture. In four or five additions, sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture, mixing well after each addition. Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared mold. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (20 if using muffin cups), until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool.
My mother uses this recipe for her holiday trifle, which is why she added the instructions for the muffin trays, since it's going to be torn into small pieces anyway.
Yesterday, I made this recipe do double duty, using one layer as a base for the delicious "Strawberry Cream Cheese Torte" recipe posted here the other day, and cutting the other half up with flower-shaped cookie cutters to bring to a friend's impromptu dinner party. I served the mini cakes with strawberry purée, fresh fruit, and whipped cream, after we'd had fun poking at the sponge cake and watching it bounce back! ^_^
Hot Water Sponge Cake
Ingredients:
- 2 eggs, whites and yolks separated
- 1/2 cup very hot (but not boiling) water
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 3/4 cup sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1. Preheat oven to 325F/160C. Grease or line with baking paper a 9"x9" square cake mold, or a similarly sized round one (make sure it's deep enough, this cake rises quite a bit), or 12 muffin cups.
2. In a large bowl, beat the egg yolks, slowly adding the 1/2 cup of hot water and the vanilla, until smooth and pale yellow. Continue to beat, gradually adding 1/2 cup of the sugar, until well blended. Set aside.
3. In another bowl, add the salt to the egg whites and beat with an electric hand mixer until they form stiff peaks. Continue to beat, gradually adding the remaining 1/4 cup of sugar.
4. Using a whisk, add about 1/4 of the egg whites to the yolk mixture. In four or five additions, sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture, mixing well after each addition. Gently fold in the rest of the egg whites.
5. Pour the mixture into the prepared mold. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes (20 if using muffin cups), until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean. Let cool.
My mother uses this recipe for her holiday trifle, which is why she added the instructions for the muffin trays, since it's going to be torn into small pieces anyway.
Yesterday, I made this recipe do double duty, using one layer as a base for the delicious "Strawberry Cream Cheese Torte" recipe posted here the other day, and cutting the other half up with flower-shaped cookie cutters to bring to a friend's impromptu dinner party. I served the mini cakes with strawberry purée, fresh fruit, and whipped cream, after we'd had fun poking at the sponge cake and watching it bounce back! ^_^