Sponge Bake-Off!!!

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

Am heading to an Australia Day lunch party tomorrow and the host has organised a sponge bake-off.  We all have to bring a sponge cake (only one attempt allowed) and there are prizes for the tastiest and most appealing looking sponge.  Not being a huge sponge fan I have never made one before.  I just went to make one and realised I needed wheaten cornflour, not maize cornflour.  Poor Hubby is on his way to do some late night shopping.

My Mum is a great sponge baker and has an easy recipe, but I'm tempted to try Maggie Beer's no-fail sponge recipe though. Any tips for recipes or decorating?? I would love to knock their socks off. 

[EmeraldSue]

I'm on holidays at the moment and have my iPad tethered to my iPhone so I can get my fix of this forum, so I don't have access to my recipe books. However, I have made Nigella Lawson's sponge recipe which she makes in a food processor. I think the recipe is in her Domestic Goddess book. I suspect that this would translate well to the thermomix. From memory, the secret was to use really soft butter. I found that the sponge rose really well. The traditional way to fill a sponge is with jam and cream, and dust the top with sugar, so if you have any jam that you've made in your thermomix you would be way ahead of other sponges filled with store bought jam. However, as it's Australia day, I would suggest filling it with lemon curd and cream and topping with passion fruit icing. Good luck!

[snappy]

I would suggest filling it with lemon curd and cream and topping with passion fruit icing. Good luck!

Or passionfruit curd!

I made some using nay-nay recipe and it's delicious.

I'm no sponge expert but I understand that the key is lots of beating of the eggs first - I think my cookbook recommends beating for 20 mins

[cathy79]

Isn't a sponge the basis for lamingtons?  Then you'd be seriously Aussie!

[CreamPuff63]

it is the basis for lamingtons. best results achieved by day old sponge not fresh, as it soaks up too much choc icing.

[maddy]

My Mum is a great sponge baker and has an easy recipe, but I'm tempted to try Maggie Beer's no-fail sponge recipe though. Any tips for recipes or decorating?? I would love to knock their socks off. 

I must look that one up Chelsea!
The perfect sponge is one thing I just cannot crack......and it's not through lack of trying either!
I WILL NOT GIVE UP 

[judydawn]

Good luck with the challenge Chelsea, let us know which recipe wins.

[cookie1]

Good luck Chelsea. The CWA always used strawberries and cream when I was growing up. Some strawberry jam in the middle with cream, and on the top cream and fresh strawberries.

[DizzyGirl]

I have once made a Lamington sponge. I used nutella like spread and cream in the middle. Top with chocolate ganache, sprinkled coconut and fresh strawberries.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

Thanks so much everyone.  I would definitely have made lamingtons (so Aussie) but we did those last time. 

I won!!!!!!!!!!  Am pretty excited because I never win anything.

I used my Mum's recipe and it made 2 x 20cm sponge cakes.  I just couldn't believe how well they turned out.  Incredibly light. I used 1 full cake and half of the other to make a 3 tiered cake. I just used berry jam and cream and a light pink butter icing on top.  For the Australian element I made a gum leaf/nut posy to put on the cake. I ended up finding some raffia to tie the posy up with which looked better than the fabric in the photo below. There were only 9 other cakes but it was quiet competitive. 

I didn't use my thermomix but will post the recipe here incase anyone else would like it:

Award Winning Sponge

Preheat oven to 180 degrees and grease two 20cm round cake tins (I lined the bottoms with baking paper).

Sift 3/4 cup wheaten cornflour, 1/2 tsp bicarb soda, 1 tsp cream of tartar & 2 tsp plain flour (sift it through twice). Set aside.

Separate 4 large room temperature eggs and beat egg whites until stiff.

Continue to beat and gradually add 3/4 cup castor sugar, 1 tsp at a time.

Add egg yolks one at a time and wait until mixed in well. Scrape down beaters and remove bowl from stand.

Gently tip sifted ingredients onto the egg/sugar mix and very gently fold it into the mix.  Keep your spoon well down in the mix and turn the bowl rather than moving the spoon.  Don't over mix (at all!!!).

Spoon mixture into prepared tins and cook for approx 15 mins or until middle springs back when pressed gently.

Be careful not to bang tins on bench or in oven and be gentle when closing the oven door.

Leave in tin for several minutes before sliding out onto a clean tea towel to cool.

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

My cake photos.  

P.S - Read above to find out about it.  For some reason I couldn't attach the photos to my last post.

[DizzyGirl]

Well done Chelsea 

[cookie1]

Congratulations Chelsea. Your sponge looks really lovely.

[judydawn]

Yay for Chelsea, what a great effort. 

Did they judge by looks, taste or both Chelsea.  Did you think you had half a chance when you saw all the other cakes?

[Chelsea (Thermie Groupie)]

They judged for overall appeal and taste (3 blindfolded judges). Mine came first for taste and second for overall appeal. The lady who won the overall appeal admitted that she had bought hers (which we all already knew but wondered if she would admit to).  Her cake was two full sponges joined with raspberry cream with a pile of mixed berries and pink icing flowers on top.  Bright pink icing was drizzled all over the cake and down the sides. It wasn't at all Australian looking but was lovely all the same.  The person at the shop did a wonderful job.