Saturday, August 28, 2010

Fruit sponge cake with buttercream

Baking is one of my hobbies, i love it! Especially when the result turns out well. Recently I baked a fruit sponge cake with buttercream. It took me around 4 hours! I'd never made buttercream before this; this step took the longest. Especially when I was using the hand mixer and the cream splattered 20cms outside the bowl, all over the kitchen.. I don't know how to prevent that.

The sponge was springy, cream tasted nice but pity about it losing shape and melting after a while. Overall I was very satisfied with it.

Here is a photo taken from my phone camera, sorry about the quality:



And here is the recipe:

Sponge cakes:

4 eggs at room temperature
130g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp butter
4 tbs water
200g sugar


1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees celcius. Line and grease two 18cm round cake tins. (I didn't have two tins so I made one after the other using the same tin).

2. Separate the eggs. Beat egg yolks.

3. Beat egg whites until frothy, gradually adding sugar. Add egg yolks whilst still beating. Beat until smooth.

4. Sift flour and baking powder. Add to egg mixture. Fold.

5. Heat butter and water on a stove until it comes to the boil. Add to mixture and fold.

6. Transfer mixture to the two baking tins and bake for 20 minutes.

7. Leave on a wire rack to cool.


Prepare the fruit:

1 punnet strawberries
1 punnet blueberries
6 cherries
10-20 large green seedless grapes
1 - 2 tbs sugar


1. Slice the strawberries into half. Place in a bowl and sprinkle sugar. Mix gently, making sure sugar coats strawberries. Set aside.

2. Halve the grapes.


Vanilla Buttercream:

1 cup butter, softened
6 cups icing sugar
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp vanilla extract


1. Mix butter.

2. Add 4 cups of sugar to the mixture.

3. Add the milk and vanilla extract.

4. Beat the mixture using a hand mixer. Add remaining sugar gradually, until icing is a thick consistency. (Taste icing - if it is not sweet enough, add more sugar).


Assembly

Utensils: Piping bag

Cake can be made up to 4 hours prior to serving.

1. When cakes are completely cooled, take 1 cake and slice top carefully until an even surface is formed.

2. Spread 1/3 to 1/2 the buttercream on top of this layer, ensuring cream is not too close to the edges. Layer with a little more than 1/2 the strawberries, and 3/4 blueberries, once again ensuring they are not too close to the edge (the weight of the top layer will force the cream to spread towards the edge). Spread another layer of cream on top of fruit (this is so that the top layer will stick).

3. Spread cream on bottom of the other cake and carefully place the cake on top of the first cake. Spread a thin layer of buttercream on top surface (so the fruit will stick). Pipe remaining icing around edge of cake. Decorate with remaining fruit.

4. Store in fridge for up to 4 hours.


Enjoy!



12 comments:

  1. Yum, yum, yum, yum! This looks brilliant!!!

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  2. MMM that looks delicious! :)

    natalieoffduty.blogspot.com

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  3. this sounds and looks delicious.. I am willing to give it a try. Thanks.. what a lovely blog you have here♥

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  4. I love baking too and just... OMG that looks soooo amazing. I love it when a cake is pretty, plus it tastes good! :)

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  5. WOW! DELICIOUS! :)

    http://ladulcivida.blogspot.com/

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  6. This cake looks so decadent! And beautiful, too : )

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  7. This is impressive! Not only does it look delish, it is very pretty!

    I am so jealous summer is coming your way! I am excited for fall, but also wish summer was coming near.

    xo M

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  8. This looks amazing!!

    Fantastic blog!
    Have a lovely weekend!
    cheers, Jesa

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