How is everyone this snowy day? We’ve been stuck indoors since Tuesday, with boiler issues and, well, snow. Now, craving chocolate sponge!
As we’re now back up and warm (thank you engineer ‘Andy’!), it’s time to get back to the passion – and do some baking.
I love my old 1970s Kenwood mixer (other, and newer, mixers are available!!). I popped in the eggs and sugar, and left it whirring away while I emptied and reloaded the dishwasher, fed the menagerie and made myself a coffee. Don’t scrimp this stage; you want your eggs and sugar to really fluff up; it’s worth just taking some time. The mixture should rise massively, and resemble cream (remember school cookery lessons – everything has to resemble cream; I wonder what they chose before someone churned cream?). Anyway, the lighter you get this now, the lighter your cake will be.
I don’t use butter/marge in my sponges. There’s no need for the extra fat (the eggs have enough) and you’ll find your sponge will be so light and springy.
Once the eggs and sugar have thoroughly whizzed enough to impress your old cookery teacher, gently spoon in flour and cocoa powder. If you want to be money savvy, save on the cost of the flour – ‘value’ self raising and plain flours are perfectly fine, but don’t do the same with the cocoa powder for a chocolate sponge. You want a rich, chocolatey cocoa, not a cheap one. You’ll taste the difference.
Pour (drop, dollop, spoon) the mix into a greased and lined springform cake tin. Then, sprinkle on one individual meringue, just smashed by hand – no need for uniformity, and a good handful of raspberries. If using frozen raspberries, you don’t need to defrost them. Very gently, give this a little stir into the cake mix. Then, sprinkle another smashed-up meringue and a good handful of raspberries on top. To quote the infamous TV show …. “aaaand ….. BAKE”.
You’ll find that the raspberries sink into the sponge mix as it cooks. If you’d only popped them in and not on, most would just sink to the bottom. The meringues, however, will lay on top.
Once baked (timing depending on size), gently ease open the spring on the tin, remove the sides and base, and set the cake aside to cool (I leave the paper lining on the cake until cooled, saves losing part of your sponge). Dust with a little icing sugar; it matches the weather this week – but isn’t essential. I do find, especially with a chocolate sponge, it makes it much more appetising to look at. It’s also a good way of hiding any imperfections, but remember those do prove you’ve not shop-bought! I’d just add, if you do find you’ve burnt a little of the top, very gently trim it away. Use a sharp, flat knife to carefully slice away if on the top of the cake, but I recommend scissors if you find you’ve caught the rim of the cake a bit.
RECIPE:
For a 9″ tin:
6 medium eggs
6 oz sugar
4 oz self raising flour
2 oz cocoa powder
2 (3″ diameter approximately) individual meringue nests
couple of handfuls raspberries
I begin testing with a skewer around 25 mins into baking – if you start opening the oven door too early it’ll sink so don’t be impatient. You’re looking for the skewer to come out clean. If you happen to hit a raspberry, wipe the skewer and pop it in again somewhere else.
This chocolate and raspberry sponge cake is yummy ‘as is’ or go on and be decadent – dollop a spoonful of clotted cream on the side (creme fraiche if feeling a bit health-conscious).
I’m off now, plate of cake and mug of steaming coffee in hand. Enjoy.
love
Maggie x