Michelle Darmody: How to bake a perfect cream sponge cake

Do not open the oven while the sponges are baking as it will affect how they rise and lead to a flat sponge.

After years of baking this recipe still fills me with awe. Three ingredients are so utterly and absolutely transformed in the making of the cake that sums up not only the science but the mystery of baking all in one tasty creation. The secret to a good sponge is air, air and more air. The sugar and eggs need to be whisked for quite a while to add the volume that you need.

Baking can be a great way to spend time with children and teach them fine motor or maths skills. It is also a way of warming the house and creating a cozy and sweet-smelling atmosphere in the kitchen. Making a sponge cake is a nice weekend project. From the whisking to assembling there are lots of hands-on elements for all the family. And most importantly it tastes great and works well for birthdays and celebrations like Mother's Day.

Cream sponge

recipe by:Michelle Darmody

The secret to a good sponge is air, air and more air. The sugar and eggs need to be whisked for quite a while to add the volume that you need.

Servings

8

Preparation Time

 20 mins

Cooking Time

 18 mins

Total Time

 38 mins

Course

 Baking

Ingredients

• 150g self raising flour

• 150g caster sugar

• 5 eggs

• For the filling and top

• 300ml cream

• 1 tsp maple syrup or runny honey

• 300g strawberries

Method

1. Line two 8in round tins with parchment and heat your oven to 180C/gas mark 4.

2. Sieve the flour and set it aside.

3. Crack the eggs into a jug and whisk them lightly with a fork to combine the yolks and whites.

4. Put the sugar and eggs into a large bowl and whisk until a generous trace is left behind when you remove the whisk from the mixture.

5. Fold the flour into the mixture, about a quarter at a time.

6. Scoop the cake mixture between your two tins.

7. Bake for about 18 minutes until the tops are golden and the centre of the cake is springy to the touch.

8. Once cool enough to handle, place the sponges onto a wire rack and allow them to cool completely.

9. Add the maple syrup or honey to the cream and whip it until it forms very stiff peaks.

10. Wash and chop the strawberries keeping about a quarter for the top of the cake.

11. Swirl about two thirds of the cream onto the top of one of the sponges and add the chopped strawberries. Place the other sponge carefully on top. The cream should just start to peek out from underneath the top sponge.

12. Swirl the rest of the cream onto the top sponge and decorate it with the rest of the strawberries. Serve straight away. The cream will start to soften and go runny at room temperature and the sponge does not take too kindly to a fridge as it dries it out.

Baker's tips

The trick to a good sponge is whipping the sugar and eggs very well. They should be whisked enough that when you raise the whisk and drop some of the mixture back into the bowl the mixture stays on the surface and does not sink in. If the trail of batter disappears, you need to keep whisking.

Clean the whisk and bowl well before whisking the egg and sugar. If there is a lot of oil or butter residue on the whisk it may delay the time it takes to whisk the eggs.

Your eggs are best at room temperature for this recipe, they will incorporate much quicker. As is often the case, crack the eggs into a bowl and lightly whisk the eggs with a fork before using them in the cake.

Folding helps to preserve the air bubbles that you have whisked in. If you fold the flour too little, your mixture may seem to have more volume, but the texture will not be right. If the flour is not incorporated properly the cake will have sections that are rough, with dry and grainy ripples of flour throughout. However, if you fold too much, or too vigorously you will burst the many air bubbles that you took time to add. This will lead to a sponge that is less fluffy. The trick is to fold the flour gently but swiftly until it is all combined. I use a good rubber spatula to fold in the flour. Each time you fold, move your bowl about 45 degrees so that you mix evenly. Pull the spatula under the mixture and gently pull it back up again in a J shape.

Do not open the oven while the sponges are baking as it will affect how they rise and lead to a flat sponge.

Serve the cream sponge pretty soon after assembling, otherwise use a whipped mascarpone instead of fresh cream if you what it to stand around before serving.

Delicious variations

Lemon curd cream sponge

To make a sponge bursting with the bright, tart, zesty flavour of lemon, add lemon curd. Make the sponge as normal and reduce the amount of cream so you just have enough for the centre rather than both the centre and top. About 200ml will do. Spread about 3tbsp of lemon curd onto the top of one of the sponges then spread the well whipped cream on top. Sandwich the second sponge on top. Dust with icing sugar if you wish.

Chocolate sponge

You can make two different varieties of a chocolate sponge or do both for a double chocolate version. You can substitute 30g of cocoa powder for 30g of flour and make the recipe as instructed. You can also make chocolate cream to fill either a plain sponge or your chocolate version. Melt 150g of chocolate and let it cool for a few minutes then fold this through 200g of well whipped cream.

Macerated mixed berries

The tartness of berries such as strawberries break up the sweetness of many baked goods. But other berries can be used as well. If you find that your berries are that bit too tart, you can macerate them instead of adding them in as is. This means mixing sliced berries with lemon juice and sugar and allowing them to sit for a few hours, so that the flavours blend and the berries soften and release their sweetness.