Fluffy Sponge Cake with homemade whipped cream and fresh fruit

This is an easy to make, really fresh awesomely fluffy sponge cake that is perrrrfect with fresh fruit. It lends itself to all sorts of fruit extracts. This recipe calls for an un-greased cake pan Before baking, I would suggest a quick run through of my earlier post 'Basic Baking Tips'.

INGREDIENTS:

Cake:

6 large eggs, separated

1 cup (100 grams) sifted cake flour

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup (200 grams) granulated white sugar, divided 2/3 cup and 1/3 cup

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 tablespoons water (optional substitution: orange juice/mango extract)

Zest of a orange (outer skin)

3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Frosting:

2 cups Heavy whipping cream

1-1.5 cups confectioner's sugar (powdered sugar)

2 tablespoons Corn Starch (optional)

Fresh Berries (or sliced mango/orange/strawberries)

METHOD:

- Separate egg yolks and egg whites into 2 different bowls. This is easier to do while eggs are cold. Cover both bowls and leave out for 30 minutes or so till eggs are room temperature

- Preheat oven to 350 degree F

- Grease ONLY the bottom of a tube pan, do not grease the sides of the pan

- Sift flour, baking powder and salt together twice into a bowl (dry ingredients)

- Add 2/3 cup of sugar to egg yolks. Using paddle attachment (or hand mixer) beat yolks and sugar, slow at first and then taking up to high speed till light in colour and fluffy

When paddle is lifted away it should leave a long ribbon from the attachment to the beaten sugar and yolks

- Mix in the Vanilla essence, water, and zest (or any additional/substitute flavourings)

- Beat the egg whites with the whisk attachment, starting slow and then working up to low speed

- Beat egg whites till foamy, add in cream of tartar, increase speed to medium, medium high speed and beat till soft peaks are just forming. Egg whites will have increased in volume considerably

- Slow whisk and add in remaining 1/3 cup of sugar, increase speed of whisk to high till soft, shiny peaks are forming

- Now it's time to put it all together! Add half of the sifted dry ingredients to the beaten egg yolk mix and fold in a little with a spatula/wooden spoon/or your hand. Then add the rest of the dry ingredients. Fold till all of the flour is just incorporated in and no white streaks are visible in the batter. Do not overmix

- Fold in the beaten egg whites. This must be done carefully to make sure the egg whites do not deflate. Make sure not to overmix here also, just fold in till the batter is more of less incorporated

- Slowly and carefully pour the batter into your tube pan. Smooth the top over

- Pop it into the oven and bake on the center rack for about 30 minutes. Cake is done when you get the awesome cake smell. Inserting a toothpick into the middle of the cake it should come out clean and the cake should spring back when pressed lightly with your finger

- Remove cake from oven and invert the pan onto a glass or small bowl so it can cool inverted and suspended for at least an hour

- When cooled, run a butter knife or for metal pans you can use a sharp knife around the edges of the cake all the way down to loosen from the sides of the pan. You should now be able to pop the cake out, no problem

- Set the cake aside to cool, now we can work on the frosting!

FROSTING:

- Chill your bowl and wire whisk in the fridge or freezer for about an hour

- Whip the heavy whipping cream on high till soft peaks are forming

- Add in the sugar, whip on slow at first till sugar gets incorporated and switch to high again

- Optional step: if the cake will be sitting out of the fridge for long periods add in cornstarch to stabilize so that the whipped cream does not melt and run (1 tablespoon corn starch/cup of cream)

- Whip cream till stiff peaks form. Do not overwhip or the cream will curdle  

- Slice up any fruit you would like to decorate your cake with, leave the berries whole

- Scoop whipped cream into the center cavity of the cake and top of with whole berries (if available)

- Smooth remaining whipped cream onto the the rest of the cake 

- Decorate with sliced fruit

- Chill, eat and enjoy!!!