Does anyone know the trick to....

[TBMP]

making sponge cakes??

I just had my first go at making one and I failed big time!! It turned to rubber. I did everything exactly like the recipe said and it still didn't work out :(

If anyone knows any tricks on how to get them to work or has a failsafe recipe for one please let me know.

[Leisa21]

Sponge Cakes are sooo hard. It took me quite a few goes to get it right. I actually use the recipe on the back of the Fielders Cornflour and its the best I've used.

They thing about sponge cakes is that you have to beat the living daylights out of them. And I mean really beat. If you have a cheap beater (like me) you have to beat for about 3 times then the recipe says. They seem easy but they're not. lol I'm qute and experienced baker but I do try to avoid the sponge cake as its pretty touch and go. In saying that tho my Aunty whips them up in a heart beat and says its all down to the beaters.

Hope this helps.

[TBMP]

Thanks for that. I was actually thinking that it might have been the beating thing. As I don't have a beater at the moment, I stood there for about an hour hand beating the living daylights out of the eggs but obviously that wasn't enough!!

I think I'll be buying myself another beater before I try again!! I'm an experienced baker as well but I haven't tried the sponge until now as my mum has always told me they can be hard to make.

[becsmum]

making sponge cakes??

I just had my first go at making one and I failed big time!! It turned to rubber. I did everything exactly like the recipe said and it still didn't work out :(

If anyone knows any tricks on how to get them to work or has a failsafe recipe for one please let me know.

Ok, here is my fail proof recipie. I first made this in high school cookery in year 10 and no-one i've given the recipie to has stuffed it up yet LOL :)

2/3 (100g) plain flour
4 tbsp custard powder OR cornflour
1 tsp baking powder
4 eggs (60's)
2/3 cup (160grams) caster sugar
1 tbsp water if required

sift the flour, custard powder/cornflour, and baking powder.

Seperate the eggs, putting the whites into mixing bowl and keeping the yolks

beat the egg whites until stiff and then gradually add the caster sugar while continuing to beat.

Add egg yolks one at a time and beat until the mixture is thick like thickened cream and you can form the figure 8 with it when you lift up the beaters.

Using a metal tablespoon fold in the sifted ingredients. This is the important step. You need to do it gently so as to not knock too much of the air out. It can take a while but just persist becuase it's really worth it.

Pour into 2 sponge pans and bake at 190 for 15-20 minutes.

To make this into a YUMMY cinnamon sponge just add 3tsp cinnamon to flour before sifting.

[Reidymac]

I was always taught the secret to a perfect sponge was the folding.

The dry ingredients need to be sifted and then very, very, very gently folded into the aerated wet ingredients so as not to damage the bubbles. Pouring the mix into the tins also has to be done gently to preserve the bubbles of air in the mix.:thumbsup: