Something you can do for birthdays, anniversaries and valentines day or any other day when you feel like having strawberries and mangoes with cream and cake…… I love this cake, people can call me old fashioned, etc. but these cakes can never be beaten by mud cakes and chocolate cakes……..

Making a perfect sponge cake has always been a challenge for me, but after finding this recipe I think now its not a big headache. Its easy, you don’t have to use 6 – 8 eggs, you don’t have to separate the eggs and then incorporate with light hand etc. Its no fuss and everything turns out great!

Ayesha’s Kitchen

Ingredients

FOR SPONGE CAKE

• 20 g butter
• 1 Tbsp milk
• 90 g cake flour
• 3 eggs
• 90 g sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla extract

FRUITS

• 2 cups strawberries (half cut into dices and rest for decoration)
• 2 mangoes peeled and cut into dices

FOR WHIPPED CREAM

• 2 C (480ml) heavy cream
• 1/4 C (50g) sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

FOR SYRUP

• 50ml water
• 50gms sugar

Procedure:

FOR SPONGE CAKE

-Preheat the oven to 350 F (180 C) at least 20 minutes before. Line two 9″ cake pan with parchment paper (bottom and side). Put butter and milk In a small bowl and microwave until the butter melts. In another bowl, sift the cake flour 2 times. Set aside.

-In a bowl of a stand mixer, add eggs and sugar. Over a double boiler (placing the bowl over a pot with simmering water on low heat), whisk the egg mixture until it becomes lukewarm (until the sugar dissolves). Then set the bowl on the stand mixer, and whip the egg mixture until very thick and pale. Add vanilla and mix.

-Add sifted cake flour in 3 parts. Fold in the first one-third of the flour by hand with a spatula (not with the mixer). After the flour is incorporated, add the next part of flour and again fold in with the spatula. Repeat. Next, add the mixture of melted butter and milk and fold in with the spatula.

-Divide the batter equally into the prepared pans and bake for 15 mins or until the toothpick comes out clean.

-Take the cake out from the oven and leave for 15 minutes. Finally, remove the cake from the cake pan and allow it to cool. Start frosting when the cake is completely cool. To speed up the process, refrigerate the cakes for 1 hour.

-Now comes the fun part. (Frosting and decoration)

-When you put your cake in the ridge or meanwhile you cake is cooling somewhere, put the whisk attachments of your mixer and the bowl you are going to whip the cream in into the freezer. This will help you whipping the cream firmly.

-To make syrup, put water and sugar in a pot and let it boil for a minute until the sugar completely dissolves. Let it cool.

-In a bowl (we put in the freezer) of a stand mixer, add heavy cream. Set it in the mixer, and start whipping at medium speed, adding sugar in 2-3 parts until medium peaks form. Mix in vanilla.

-After getting all the components ready, assemble the cake. Brush the syrup on the cake well, spread on about 1/5 of the whipped cream, and put 1/2 of the fruit fillings on the cream. Add the second layer of the cake, push down lightly, and brush the syrup on. Coat cake with a very small amount of cream, and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Put another 1/5 of the whipped cream in a piping bag with a piping tip (any kinds) and set aside. Frost the whole cake with the rest of the whipped cream. Pipe 8 rosettes with the piping bag and top with the strawberries.

-Refrigerate or 6 hours until the cake is set and then serve.

Ayesha’s Kitchen