This light and fluffy strawberry sponge cake is my favourite basic sponge cake recipe filled with vanilla whipped cream and macerated strawberries. It’s the perfect summertime dessert.
For best results, always weigh ingredients where a weight is provided
Equipment
Fine mesh sieve
Small jug
Medium and large mixing bowls
Metal spoon
electric beater
2 sandwich tins / 8 inch round cake pans
Instructions
FOR THE MACERATED STRAWBERRIESPlace the sugar, maple syrup and vinegar into a mixing bowl and stir together.
Wash, hull then slice the strawberries into 4-5 slices. Add them to the dressing and gently stir to combine.
Let them sit at room temperature for 45-60 minutes, stirring every 10-15 minutes.
FOR THE SPONGE CAKEPreheat oven to 180C (160C fan) / 350F.
Grease two 8 inch round cake pans (or sandwich tins) with softened butter. Line the base with baking paper then roll flour around the inside to coat the sides of the tin before tapping out the excess.
In a cup, combine the water and vanilla. Set aside.
Into a medium bowl, sift together the plain flour, cornflour and baking powder then use a whisk to whisk them together well.
Crack the eggs into a large mixing bowl or the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until they get to ribbon stage - about 8 minutes. Test ribbon stage by lifting the beaters out and letting it run off the beaters in a figure 8 - if the 8 doesn't sink away, it's ready. They will be very thick, pale and fluffy at this point.
While beating on low, gradually add the sugar. Once all the sugar is added, beat for another 1 minute on medium.
Sift half the flour mixture directly over the egg mixture (this second sift is important) then use a metal spoon to very gently fold them together. Once it's about 90% incorporated, repeat with the remaining half of the flour mixture.
Fold it through with a metal spoon again until 90% combined.
Add the water mixture and carefully fold it through with the metal spoon until fully incorporated.
Tip the cake batter evenly into the two baking tins and bake for 20-22 minutes until a toothpick comes out clean.
Let the sponges cool in the tins for 5 mins before turning out onto wire racks, with the tops so they are touching the racks and the bottoms now facing up. Let the cool completely.
THE CHANTILLY CREAMIn a medium bowl, using an electric beater on low-medium speed, whip the cream, sugar and vanilla to firm peaks - careful not to overwhip or it will turn grainy.
ASSEMBLING THE CAKEPlace one layer onto a cake plate, right way up (flipped again, so the bottom is the bottom again).
Spread half the chantilly cream over the top, then add some of the strawberries in an even layer on top. Try not to add too much of the syrup and don't make the layer too thick.
Place the other layer on top, bottom side up so you have a neat top edge. Add more cream and more strawberries again. Let some of the strawberry juice drizzle down the side.
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Notes
Tablespoons: I use a standard Australian 20ml tablespoon (equal to 4 teaspoons worldwide).
Keep in mind, a sponge cake is typically not a moist cake. It has a drier texture and is often drizzled with a syrup of some kind or loaded up with cream for moisture.
For best results, you should always weigh ingredients like flour and sugar. Kitchen scales are relatively cheap but if you can’t weigh the ingredients, use the spoon and level method (don’t scoop).
All ovens vary – always test for doneness 3-5 minutes before the recipe suggests.
Flours: You can swap both the plain flour and the cornflour (cornstarch) for cake flour (but not one or the other).
Ribbon stage: Beating eggs to ribbon stage means to beat them with an electric beater or a stand mixer with a whisk attachment until they are thick, fluffy and pale. When you lift the whisk out, you can use the dripping batter to draw an 8 on the surface of the batter without it sinking away.
Metal spoon: Folding using a metal spoon is very important – it cuts cleanly through the batter without destroying all the air you’ve beaten into the eggs.
Sifting: Sifting the flour twice is also important as it aerates and lightens the flour (many recipes do it three times and you are more than welcome to do this, though I don’t find it makes a huge difference in this recipe).
Folding: The folding motion is also very important – this again stops the air you’ve created from being destroyed.
Have you tried this recipe?Don't forget to leave a rating and comment below and let me know how it was! I love hearing from you. Nutrition information is approximate and derived from an online calculator. The brands you use may cause variations.