Blessings From My Kitchen: Sponge cake

It's 106°F outside. As I'm sitting here, in the comfort of my home, I contemplate on the handful ways I should not, but most probably will, be altering the temperature inside to match the stinging inferno outdoors. Can I mention again it's 106?

It's a battle. A dilemma where you absolutely know flourish and countenance exponentially rise near heat emitting appliances. That breakthrough experiments in the kitchen, fueled solely by fiery passion, can in no way be stalled by three digit forecasts. It's the lifeline-tasks involving the stove, oven, air fryer on occasion, and the act of following recipes, deliberating on cake orders and manufacturing details going on those orders, which bask in a strange sweat inducing, labor intensive sanity.

So what if, most of the time, the kitchen is as hot as my Southwest backyard?

Though today's update needs no present action, except the fact it might be tonight's dessert after I get done typing this spiel. Gleaning through my desktop, perusing old recipes and cataloguing pictures brought a few jewels to my attention, not to mention the fact I really should publish my own book. Don't you think?

It would be exactly a year ago this cake was created for a 11 year old affectionate for tyedye. On viewing every how-to video Youtube suggested, and breathing through the panic, I took a brush and painted a flawless cake completely psychedelic.

What's inside the 10 inch wonder might amaze you more, though. A soft, unassuming stack of tender sponge, bedded amongst caramelized goodies and satiny buttercream. Constructions that might take pages to gloat over, but, I'll digress, and offer only the next few sentences.

A dire mention should be the silk feel, almost wholly dependent on whipping eggs-sugar to dreamy ribbons, something you keep in mind at the start as you come to a finish such as this.

Don't let the fluffy crumb fool you. Sponge build here is super solid and optimally lends itself to a much greater good. You'll see ample opportunity to extend this baked glory in any project your heart is set on.

You can use it in structured, layered pieces as in the pictures shown.

You can strew multiple fruits and cream in a bevy of chaotic ensembles.

You can cut it up and trifle pudding it.

You can whip up coffee gateau and tiramisu.

You can pair naked slices with hot coffee.

Indeed, it's the perfect shapeshifting blueprint, customizable for countless possibilities, even flavors.

Say hello to your new superhero of pastries, wherein all surety, you wear the cape.

Ingredients:

(Adapted from Let the Baking Begin!- simple sponge cake)

8 large eggs
2 cups sugar
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
pinch salt
¼ cup melted butter
2 tbsp hot water
2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325° F.
Whip eggs in a stand mixer on high speed until light and airy.
Gradually add sugar and continue to beat until thick and fluffy, about 8 minutes. The mixture should ribbon off the whisk and fade into batter in 1-2 seconds.
In a separate mixing bowl, sift flour, baking powder and salt.
Combine melted butter and water in a large cup.
With mixer on low speed, fold in the dry ingredients and liquids alternatively to the egg mixture, in three increments, beginning and ending with flour. Do not overbeat. Mix in vanilla extract.
Bake in prepared(greased and floured) pans. This yields 2 round 8" cakes.
Bake for 25-30 minutes or until center is done.
Allow to cool in pans for 5 minutes, then invert onto wire racks and cool completely.

Notes:

Bake immediately- don't allow the cake layers to sit too long after the flour is folded in.

Once cooled, wrap layers in plastic cling film and freeze for 24 hours before assembling into layers. It will hold much better and not crumble. Unfrosted cake will freeze well for up to two weeks.

This particular project had four layers of sponge, which means I doubled the recipe. Frosting was the easy SM buttercream recipe and the decorations, marshmallow fondant . Lollipops, spheres and rounds were chocolate melted and placed in molds.