"Fairy tales had been her first experience of the magical universe, and more than once she had wondered why people ended up distancing themselves from that world, knowing the immense joy that childhood had brought to their lives." (Paulo Coelho) Almost immediately upon seeing a cake completely covered in sprinkles, it feels as if you have been transported back to those wide-eyed wonder days of your childhood. In that moment, all of the feelings associated with the happiest days of your youth come flooding back. It's not like you have gone through life without ever seeing a decorated cake before. Yet for some reason this cake is unlike any other. And this is all before you take your first bite. Not surprisingly, you don't even care what the flavor of the cake or the filling might be. Because never could you have anticipated a cake with sprinkles would have such magical, time-traveling qualities.
Ever since watching the first season of the Great British Bake Off, I have wanted to make a sponge cake. Considering it is quite possibly one of the most versatile cakes ever created, I wondered how it was that this cake never worked its way into my baking life. The only possible explanation is my obsession with chocolate blinded me to the deliciousness of a buttery sponge cake. The blinders are now off.
Walk in any bakery and you will see the cupcakes and cakes decorated in sprinkles are often some of the most expensive. Is it because of the cost of the sprinkles? Probably not. Is it the time and labor that goes into the making a sprinkle cake? Maybe, but probably not. Could it be that a cake with sprinkles has the added psychological affect of making one feel heart racing joy? Well if you believe the ability to give someone a moment of happiness is one of the most priceless gifts you can give, well that just may be the most plausible reason. You might not remember the presents you received growing up, but you are not likely to ever forget your happiest memorable moments.
There is no shortage of lists identifying the essential dishes everyone should be able to cook, master, and commit to memory. Making some of these lists is the classic Victoria Sponge Cake. Named in honor of Queen Victoria this is a cake where the weight of the eggs (in their shells) determine the amounts of caster sugar, all-purpose flour, and unsalted butter. Some vanilla and baking powder round out the ingredients in this relatively simple to make cake. If there was ever a reason to justify the purchase of a good scale, this sponge cake would be one of them.
There is enough batter in this recipe to fill two 6 inch cake rounds (buttered, floured and lined with parchment paper). And using a scale helps to ensure there are equal amounts of batter in each pan.
The cakes are baked in a 356 degree (F) oven. No that isn't a typo. It is 356 degrees (F). The conversion from Celcius to Fahrenheit can make baking a little challenging for those of us without digital ovens. Baking time ranges from 25 to 30 minutes or until the cakes are lightly golden and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. The cakes remain in the pans for five minutes before they are unmolded and transferred to a rack to cool completely.
Traditionally sponge cakes are filled with jam. But I couldn't let all of the lemons I had in the refrigerator go to waste, so I made some lemon curd. Homemade lemon curd and fresh raspberries were used to fill this cake, however, the filling possibilities are almost endless. In its' simplest presentation, this sponge cake can be filled with fresh fruit and lightly sweetened whipped cream.
You will make the frosting of the cake easier on yourself if you pipe a circle of icing on the bottom layer of the cake before you spread on your filling. Trust me on this.
A classic sponge cake just begs to be frosted with a homemade buttercream icing. For a whiter icing, use a clear imitation vanilla extract versus the pure madagascar bourbon vanilla extract used in for the cake. However, since this cake was being completely covered in sprinkles I used the real versus the imitation vanilla.
The recipe for the icing yields enough for a thin layer of frosting on the sides of the cake and a slightly more generous layer for the top of the cake. More than enough for the sprinkles to adhere to the frosting. However, next time I will consider doubling the frosting recipe (or at least make a single and half batch) just because I happen to like alot of icing on a cake.
No matter how careful I tried to be, I still ended up with a few sprinkles on the floor. I thought by putting pieces of aluminum foil under the cake platter the mess I was making in the kitchen would be kept to a minimum. Without the foil, I might have had more sprinkles on the floor than on the cake. The Cake Blog also has a good tutorial on their approach to decorating a cake with sprinkles. Theirs doesn't look as messy.
You don't need an occasion to make this cake. But it makes for a perfect birthday cake. Especially for those double digit birthdays leaving you wonder where has the time gone and wishing it would just slow down.
It might be hard to resist having only a single piece of this light, airy, buttery, classic cake even if its' one iced with homemade buttercream frosting and covered in colorful sprinkles. There is something rather magical about this Vanilla Sponge Cake w/ Lemon Curd and Raspberries, Buttercream Frosting & Sprinkles. You can't help but believe that any wish made on it will come true. Unless of course you were someone who never believed in fairy tales.
Vanilla Sponge Cake w/ Lemon Curd and Raspberries, Buttercream Frosting & Sprinkles (cake recipe inspired by The Little Library Cafe's Victoria Sponge Cake; vanilla icing recipe inspired by Molly Yeh's vanilla icing recipe)
Serves 8-10
Ingredients
Vanilla Sponge Cake
3 large eggs, room temperature (weighed in shells)
Unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, and caster sugar (or superfine sugar) each in amounts equal to the weight of the eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Vanilla Icing
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups confectionary sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or use clear imitation vanilla for a whiter frosting)
pinch of sea salt
Store bought or Homemade lemon curd
Half pint of fresh raspberries
8 - 9 ounces of Sprinkles
Directions
Vanilla Sponge Cake
1. Preheat oven to 356 degrees (F). Butter and flour two 6 inch cake pans. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Weigh eggs in their shells. Use this weight amount and measure out the unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, and caster (or superfine) sugar. Note: All four ingredients will have the same weight measures.
3. Sift all purpose flour and baking powder, three times. Set aside.
4. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and caster sugar until pale yellow and creamy (approximately 4 minutes).
5. Add eggs in one at a time, beating until fully incorporated.
6. Add vanilla and mix in.
7. Add flour mixture and mix gently using a spatula until flour is fully incorporated.
8. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared baking pans.
9. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until top is lightly golden and a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
10. Remove baked cakes from oven. Allow to sit in pan for 5 minutes. Remove and transfer to a cooling rack. Allow cakes to cool completely before assembling.
Vanilla Icing
1. In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix all frosting ingredients together until smooth and creamy.
Cake Assembly
1. Place on the cake layers (top side down) on a platter or cake stand.
2. Using a pastry bag, pipe a ring of icing around top edge of one of the cake layers. Spoon in and/or pipe on the lemon curd inside the icing circle. Layer raspberries.
3. Top with the second layer (top side up).
4. Spread and smooth icing on sides and top of cake.
5. Pour sprinkles on top of cake, spread carefully with your hand. Gently press sprinkles into sides of cake. Before adding sprinkles to the cake, place the cake stand on top of sheets of aluminum foil to catch sprinkles.
Notes: Cake can be filled with your favorite filling or icing only. If using icing only, double the icing recipe ingredients. Keep iced cake in the refrigerator, remove 30 minutes before serving.
Ingredients
Vanilla Sponge Cake
3 large eggs, room temperature (weighed in shells)
Unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, and caster sugar (or superfine sugar) each in amounts equal to the weight of the eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
Vanilla Icing
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/3 cups confectionary sugar, sifted
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract (or use clear imitation vanilla for a whiter frosting)
pinch of sea salt
Store bought or Homemade lemon curd
Half pint of fresh raspberries
8 - 9 ounces of Sprinkles
Directions
Vanilla Sponge Cake
1. Preheat oven to 356 degrees (F). Butter and flour two 6 inch cake pans. Line bottom of pans with parchment paper and set aside.
2. Weigh eggs in their shells. Use this weight amount and measure out the unsalted butter, all-purpose flour, and caster (or superfine) sugar. Note: All four ingredients will have the same weight measures.
3. Sift all purpose flour and baking powder, three times. Set aside.
4. In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and caster sugar until pale yellow and creamy (approximately 4 minutes).
5. Add eggs in one at a time, beating until fully incorporated.
6. Add vanilla and mix in.
7. Add flour mixture and mix gently using a spatula until flour is fully incorporated.
8. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared baking pans.
9. Bake 25-30 minutes, or until top is lightly golden and a cake tester inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean.
10. Remove baked cakes from oven. Allow to sit in pan for 5 minutes. Remove and transfer to a cooling rack. Allow cakes to cool completely before assembling.
Vanilla Icing
1. In a standing mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, mix all frosting ingredients together until smooth and creamy.
Cake Assembly
1. Place on the cake layers (top side down) on a platter or cake stand.
2. Using a pastry bag, pipe a ring of icing around top edge of one of the cake layers. Spoon in and/or pipe on the lemon curd inside the icing circle. Layer raspberries.
3. Top with the second layer (top side up).
4. Spread and smooth icing on sides and top of cake.
5. Pour sprinkles on top of cake, spread carefully with your hand. Gently press sprinkles into sides of cake. Before adding sprinkles to the cake, place the cake stand on top of sheets of aluminum foil to catch sprinkles.
Notes: Cake can be filled with your favorite filling or icing only. If using icing only, double the icing recipe ingredients. Keep iced cake in the refrigerator, remove 30 minutes before serving.
Lighthouses in Cape Elizabeth, Maine and Aquinnah, Massachusetts (Martha's Vineyard)
