Here's my boy, he's the one up the back behind his wife and crazy off-spring!! He made the cake which is actually a sponge cake. It's the first time (I think) that he has attempted a sponge cake.
It was delicious, especially with the fresh strawberries and kiwi fruit, yummmmmmmmmmm. So here is the rest of the story. Many years ago, before moving back to the SE, the sponge was a family fave and my speciality. The recipe came from my high school cooking book, the orange edition of "Cook with Confidence" that still takes pride of place amongst my many dozens of recipe books that 'decorate' my shelf. Books with recipes inside that look sooooooooooooo good that I'm sure I will try every single one and....................well one day! Then we built our new home and put a new fashioned all the rage just gotta have one fan forced oven AND my sponge making days were over. Sponge cake does not respond well to fan forced air.
Steve phoned up, "Mum, do you still have your sponge recipe?"
Mum, "Sure do, why?"
Steve, "I'm going to make it for Jaime's birthday cake".
Mum, "Give me a minute and I'll email it to you."
Now, I normally don't give away famous family secret recipes, but considering that every girl in every high school in SA during the 50s, 60s and 70s and in fact a lot earlier than that, would have had one in their possession at some stage, means it's not exactly our family recipe, so if you feel the impulse to bake a sponge, give this one a go! Then let me know, how you did go!
Here's the famous recipe as emailed to Steve, note hints added for good measure!
----- Original Message -----
From: A & C Perryman
To: MAYOR
Sent: Saturday, August 16, 2008 12:17 PM
Subject: Nanny's Sponge Cake Recipe from Cook With Confidence (school cook book)
This is a double sponge recipe, either 2 x 8" round or the bigger round tin. Can use rectangle, cut the sponge in half and put on top!
You will have to do the conversions if you don't have a scale with imperial measurements.
4 oz Self Raising Flour
1 oz Corn Flour
5 oz Caster Sugar (best to use, but I've made plenty with regular sugar)
4 eggs
6 desertspoons of hot milk or water (think I've mostly used water)
pinch salt if you remember
Whisk egss and gradually add sugar until thick and creamy (this is the most important part of the whole thing, get the eggs fairly fluffy before SLOWLY adding the sugar. Check with your fingers, rub a bit of mixture between them and see if you can feel the sugar - it's ok if you can feel a tiny bit of grit).
Mixture needs to be really fluffy and not drip off the mixing thing - need to be able to make peaks).
Fold in the sifted flours - carefully and don't over fold/mix.
Add the hot water down the side of the bowl & fold in.
Pour into greased and paper lined tins and bake for 17 minutes at 350 degrees - don't use fan - make sure oven is correct temperature before putting the sponge mix in. May be less than 17 minutes if you are using a pan that is not high sided, the shorter the pan the shorter the time to bake.
You can tell if it is cooked by:
Colour, should be yellowish (depends on eggs!)
Comes away from the pan on the edges
Run a knife around the edge if you haven't used baking paper before bringing out of pan.
GOOD LUCK!
And for future sponge makers, if you can get duck eggs, you will make the bestest ever sponge cake - I can guarantee it!THE RECIPE
The real recipe is actually inside the book, I just re-wrote it to double the recipe, inside the cover! The ink from another recipe on the other side of the page has leeched through and the recipe is barely deciferable! All class hey? I'm sure Gordon Ramsays' recipes are stored in exactly the same way!
The real recipe is actually inside the book, I just re-wrote it to double the recipe, inside the cover! The ink from another recipe on the other side of the page has leeched through and the recipe is barely deciferable! All class hey? I'm sure Gordon Ramsays' recipes are stored in exactly the same way!
THE SHELF
THE BOOK
THE END :)
