Traditional Sponge Cake?

Question

When making my sponge cake the moment I add in my plain flour (using my mixer to mix the batter and flour together) the batter sink down. Why is it so?

Answer 1

Don't use a mixer. The batter needs to be light and airy. Once you get to the point of adding the flour, fold it in with a spatula and mix as little as possible. A few small lumps here and there are okay. The biggest mistake people make with cakes of any kind is over mixing, and that will lead to a tough, over dense cake. Sponge cake is supposed to be sponge-like with lots of air holes. When you use a mixer you beat out all of those little air holes. Plus, when you work flour too much it will create gluten, a protein great for making bread strong, but horrible for your cake. Next time you may want to try using cake flour because of the smaller protein content...

Answer 2

Ya, my friend she makes an awesome sponge cake and she said the same as the others, that with sponge cake you shouldn't use a mixer but rather a spatula and fold the ingredients in. this keeps it light and fluffy for the airholes.

Answer 3

here are some recipes

Grandma Fanny Vitner's Sponge Cake

6 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cups sugar
pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 cup orange or pineapple juice

Separate the whites of the eggs and beat them good until stiff. While beating them add 3/4 cup sugar slowly until it's good and foamy (also the salt).
Now get to the yellow of the 6 eggs. Also beat them until good and stiff. (Of course, don't forget the 3/4 cup of the sugar which it's left from the 1 1/2 cups of sugar.)
Now after the yellow is nice and stiff add slowly the flour which it's already sifted with the baking powder. Alternate the juice and flour slowly.
When the flour and juice is mixed up, slowly add the whites (which have been beaten) and very slow mix it together. I hope you will find it good if you will follow up everything I put down.

Have you got a tube pan? It's got to be in one. Also, do not grease the pan.

Before you get through mixing all the ingredients, light the stove at 350 degrees and bake it for about 70 minutes. When it's brown and done, make sure you turn the pan upside down. Let the cake stay in the pan until it's cold.
Then with a knife slowly scrape the cake out on the sides of the pan, and it will come out very good. Make sure when you turn the pan upside down for the cake to come out, have a wire rack so it will not crumble. Then again turn it into a dish,
http://www.recipelink.com/cookbooks/2001/0967163315_2.html

GINGER SPONGE CAKE:

1/2 cup buttermilk
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup butter
1 egg
1/2 tablespoon ginger
2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon baking soda

Beat together the molasses, butter, egg, buttermilk and ginger. Stir in the flour and finally the baking soda, dissolved in a tablespoon of hot water.
Bake in greased and floured shallow square cake tins or muffin pans at 350°F until cake tests done (about 35 minutes).

LEMON SPONGE CAKE:

6 eggs
1 cup sugar
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 325°F.
Beat yolks of eggs until thick and lemon colored. Gradually beat in the sugar, grated lemon rind, and juice. Fold in half of the stiffly beaten egg whites.
Cut in sifted flour and salt, add nuts, and remaining egg whites.
Bake in a slow oven for about one hour or until toothpick inserted in center of cake comes out nearly clean.

Fruit Sponge Cake

Prep Time 50 min.
Cook Time 30 min.
Serves 8
Fruit Sponge Cake

·Prep Time 50 min.
·Cook Time 30 min.
·Serves 8

Ingredients
1 1/4 cups half-and-half
1/3 cup granulated sugar
5 teaspoons cornstarch
1 pinch salt
2 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
4 large egg yolks, at room temperature
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 cup cake flour
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, plus more for greasing
4 large egg whites, at room temperature
1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup currant jelly or strained apricot jam
2 cups assorted berries and sliced fruit, such as mango and kiwis

Cooking Directions
1.In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, whisk the half-and-half, the 1/3 cup of sugar, the cornstarch and a pinch of salt until it comes to a boil. In a medium bowl, whisk 2 egg yolks, then slowly whisk in half of the hot mixture. Pour the custard back into the pan and cook, whisking, until it comes to a boil. Transfer to a bowl and stir in 1 teaspoon of the vanilla. Cover with wax paper and refrigerate for 1 hour.

2.Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly butter a 9-inch square cake pan, line it with wax paper, then butter the paper.

3.In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk, combine the 4 remaining yolks, the remaining 1 teaspoon of vanilla and the 3/4 cup of sugar. Beat on high speed until pale and thick, 3 minutes. In a small saucepan, bring the milk almost to a boil and, with the mixer at low speed, drizzle it into the yolk mixture. Mix in the flour until just blended. Transfer to a bowl and clean the mixer bowl and whisk.

4.Melt the butter until just warm. Place the 4 egg whites, cream of tartar and 1/2 teaspoon of salt in the mixer bowl. Whisk on medium-high speed until stiff but not dry, about 3 minutes. Fold one-third of the whites into the yolk mixture, then fold in the remaining whites and the butter.

5.Scrape the batter into the prepared pan; bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in the pan on a rack for 5 minutes, then turn out and let cool completely.

6.With a serrated knife, divide the cake into 2 layers. Place a layer on a cake stand; top with the custard and then the other layer. Melt the jelly in a microwave and lightly brush over the cake. Arrange the fruit on the cake and brush with more jelly.
Yield: 8 servings (Serving size: 1 cake)
http://food.yahoo.com/recipes/rachael-ray/26265/fruit-sponge-cake;_ylt=AuWo.rxd9.1YAQWiGvhSv_NIY.Y5

HOT MILK SPONGE CAKE:

2 eggs
1 c. sugar
1 c. sifted flour
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 c. boiling milk

Beat eggs. Beat the sugar in the eggs. Take 1 cup flour, baking powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt; sift this into the sugar and egg mixture. Beat well, then add 1 teaspoon vanilla and 1/2 cup boiling milk. Bake in moderate oven. Very good!

Answer 4

Just go on www.bbc.co.uk/food/recipes.


Hope this helps.