Sponge cake

Sponge cakeis a light cake made with eggs, flour and sugar,sometimes leavened withbaking powder.Some sponge cakes do not contain eggyolks, likeangel food cake, but most do. Sponge cakes, leavened with beaten eggs, originated duringthe Renaissance, possibly in Spain.
The sponge cake is thought to be one of the first non-yeastedcakes, and the earliest attested sponge cake recipe in English is found in a book by the British poetGervase Markham,The English Huswife, Containing the Inward and Outward Virtues Which Ought to Be in a Complete Woman(1615).The cake was more like acracker: thin and crisp.
Sponge cakes became the cake recognised today whenbakersstarted using beaten eggs as a rising agent in the mid-18th century. TheVictoriancreation ofbaking powderby the British food manufacturerAlfred Birdin 1843 allowed the addition of butter, resulting in the creation of theVictoria sponge. Sponge cakes have becomesnack cakesvia theTwinkie.
The earliest known recipe for sponge cake (or biscuit bread) from Gervase Markham'sThe English Huswife(1615) is prepared by mixing flour and sugar into eggs, then seasoning withaniseandcorianderseeds.19th-century descriptions of "avral bread" (funeral biscuits) vary from place to place but it was sometimes described as "sponge biscuits" or a "crisp sponge" with a light dusting of sugar".Traditional American sponge recipes diverged from earlier methods of preparation by adding ingredients like vinegar, baking powder, hot water or milk.The basic recipe is also used formadeleines,ladyfingers, andtrifles, as well as some versions ofstrawberry shortcakes.
Although sponge cake is usually made without butter, its flavour is often enhanced withbuttercream,pastry creamor other types offillingsandfrostings.The sponge soaks up flavours from fresh fruits, fillings and custard sauces.Sponge cake covered in boiled icing was very popular inAmerican cuisineduring the 1920s and 1930s. The delicatetextureof sponge and angel food cakes, and the difficulty of their preparation, made them more expensive than daily staplepies. The historic Frances Virginia Tea Room inAtlantaserved sponge cake with lemon filling and boiled icing. New York City's Crumperie served not onlycrumpetsbut toasted sponge cake as well.
The basicwhiskedsponge cake contains no fat. It is made by whisking egg whites andcaster sugarand gently folding in flour.The process of whisking egg whites incorporates air bubbles to create a foam by agitating the proteinalbumento create a partially coagulated membrane, making the egg whites stiffer and increasing their volume.This type of cake, also calledfoam cake, depends on aeration of eggs and heat to rise.Some types of sponges are baked in ungreasedpansto improve the cake's rise by allowing thebattertoadhereand climb the sides of the pan.To maintain the moisture of the cake it is sometimes made withpotato flour.
Variations on the basic sponge sometimes add butter or egg yolks to moisten the cake. ForGenoisecake, flour and melted butter are added to the egg mixture for a moister cake.The "biscuit" sponge from earlyAmerican cuisineis made by beating egg yolks with sugar, then alternately folding in whisked egg whites and flour.Anne Willansays both types of sponge cake are represented inFrench cuisine. According to Willan "sponge may have some butter added, but not much or it will not rise".Cream of tartarorbaking sodais recommended by some turn-of-the-20th-century cookbooks to makeSwiss rollsmore pliable and easier to roll.
For some cakes, like theVictoria sponge, fat and sugar are creamed before eggs and flour are incorporated into the batter, similar topound cake.In British English,layer cakeslike the Victoria sponge are called "sandwich sponge".This type of buttery cake was not possible withoutbaking powder, which was discovered by English food manufacturerAlfred Birdin 1843, allowing the sponge to rise higher.
In thePhilippines, sponge cakes andchiffon cakeswere introduced during the Spanish period. They are known collectively asmamón. They are typically baked as cupcakes (torta), asloaves(taisan), or as cake rolls (pianono). Traditionally they are simply served with just butter (ormargarine) and white sugar. Variants ofmamónalso use unique ingredients, the most common beingpurple yamandpandan leaveswhich result in theube cakeand thebuko pandan cake.Crispy cookie-like versions are known asmamón tostadoandbroas.
Steamed sponge cakes like thema lai gaoare commonly found inMalaysia.Chinesealmondsponge is steamed and topped with boiled icing, chocolate, vegetables or fresh fruit.Koreansponge calledsaengis usually made withrice flourand topped with whipped topping and fruit. SomeVietnamesevarieties may have fresh herbs likemint,lemongrassorbasiladded to the batter, and be topped with caramelized tropical fruit. Milk andjaggeryare added to sponge cake inIndiawhich is served with the creamySri Lankanspeciality "avocado crazy".Western-style sponge cakes topped with whipped cream and strawberries are popular in Japan where sponge is also used as a base for cheesecakes.
Angel food cakeis a 19th-centuryAmerican cakethat contains no egg yolks or butter. The cake is leavened using only egg whites and baking powder.This recipe can be traced to 18th-century American cookbooks. The delicate cake is baked in an ungreased pan and cooled upside down.
Boston cream pie, the official state dessert ofMassachusetts, is a chocolate-glazed, layered yellow sponge cake filled withpastry cream. It may be based on theWashington pie, originally two layers of yellow sponge cake with jam filling and a dusting of icing sugar.The first known written recipe from the 1878Granite Iron Ware Cook Bookuses baking powder for the sponge.Maria Parloapublished several recipes for a cream pie, including one for a chocolate cream pie. Parloa's recipe is the closest to the modern Boston Cream Pie.
Chiffon cakeis a light and moist cake which, in contrast to sponge cake, contains bothvegetable oiland baking powder. It is similar to angel food cake and was commonly served withgrapefruitat theBrown Derbyin Hollywood during the 1930s.
Frenchpastry chefscreated a cake texture that more resembledpound cakethan traditional sponge cake. Techniques were developed to make the cake lighter, including beating the eggs over heat or beating the egg yolks and whites separately.
ThePan di Spagnaevolved from the Genoise cake as an attempt to simplify the original recipe.
A relative of the Genoise, the Joconde sponge cake (or Biscuit Joconde) is a thin sponge cake made with ground almonds.It can be used as a layer in alayer cake(for example anopera cake), or for decorative purposes asJoconde imprime.
This sponge variation fromPortuguese cuisineis flavoured with lemon or orange peel. It is served plain, and day-old cake may be incorporated into other desserts likepuddings. Thepão-de-Ló de Alfeizerãois lightly baked to a pudding-like consistency, much like thepão-de-Ló de Ovar, and flavoured withbrandy. Anecdotal legends about the cake's origin associate it with a secret recipe passed down bynunsto the village of Alfeizerão. The manufacture of commercial markets began during thePortuguese Revolution of 1910.
ThePão-de-Lóevolved from the oldFrenchpain de lof, which in turn was aDutchborrowing fromloef.All variantsloef,lofandlóare related to the English wordluff, and refer to the windward (akaluffward/loofward) side of a nauticalsail.The French make a very similar cake calledGâteau de Savoie.In Italy, the cake was known aspan di spagna. Also in Portugal, the termpão de Hespanha/pão de Castellawas used around the 16th century. Introduced to Japan by Portuguese traders in the 16th century, the Japanese variations on the cake are known ascastella,kasuteraor simplypan.
Plavais a sponge cake that is found inJewish cuisineand is usually eaten duringPesach. The batter is leavened with egg whites and frequently includes flavourings like lemonzestor almond essence.
ASwiss rollis a thin sponge cake that is spread with a layer of filling and rolled as aroulade(into a log shape).
There are many variations. A Christmas-themed chocolate variation is calledYule log.In the US and some other countries, it may be filled withjamand called a jelly roll.In Spanish-speaking countries, it is often calledbrazo de reina(queen's arm) orarrolladoand filled withdulce de leche,and a strawberry-filled version may be calledrollo de fresa(strawberry roll).
Isabella Beetonincluded a recipe for her version ofTipsy cakeinMrs Beeton's Book of Household Managementwhere the cake was baked in a decorativemouldbefore it was soaked insherryand brandy with custard poured over, or broken into smaller pieces and topped with whipped cream like atrifle.
ASoda cakeor Fanta cake is acakethat originated inGermany, made with a sponge base. The key ingredient of the sponge base isFantaorsparkling mineral water; thus, the cake base becomes fluffier than usual sponge-based cakes.It is very popular inGermany, theSouthern US, AndWest Africa.
The earliest known form oftriflewas a simple thickened cream flavored with sugar,rose waterandgingerbut recipes for egg-thickenedcustardpoured over sponge fingers, almondmacaroonsandsack-soakedratafiabiscuits are known from the mid-18th century. In 1747Hannah Glasseaddedsyllabubandcurrantjelly over the custard. Similar recipes are known for the same time with the sponge soaked insherry, wine or fruit juice.Eliza Acton's recipe for "Duke's Custard" was made from custard poured over brandied cherries rolled in sugar with sponge fingers (or macaroons) and pink whipped cream.Wyverncomplained that trifle "should be made to time-honoured standards, and not debased into a horror of stale cake, mean jam, canned fruits, packet jelly and packet custard."
TheVictoria sponge, also known as theVictoria sandwichcake, was named afterQueen Victoria, who was known to enjoy the small cakes with her afternoon tea. The version Queen Victoria ate would have been filled withjamalone, but modern versions often include cream.The top of the cake is not iced or decorated apart from a dusting ofpowdered sugar. The recipe evolved from the classicpound cakemade with equal proportions of flour, fat, sugar and eggs. The invention ofbaking powderin 1843 by English food manufacturerAlfred BirdinBirminghamallowed the cake to rise higher than was previously possible.Cookery authorFelicity Cloakewrites that this invention "was celebrated with a patriotic cake"—the Victoria sponge.
A Victoria sponge is made using one of two methods.The traditional method involves creaming caster sugar with fat (usuallybutter), mixing thoroughly with beaten egg, then folding flour and raising agent into the mixture. The modern method, using an electricmixerorfood processor, involves simply whisking all the ingredients together until creamy.Additionally, the modern method typically uses an extra-raising agent, and some recipes call for an extra-soft butter or margarine.This basic "cake" mixture serves as the basis for a wide variety of treats andpuddings, includingcupcakes,chocolate cake, andEve's pudding.
Since sponge cakes are not leavened withyeast, they are popular dessert choices for the Passover feast.Typically, Passover sponges are made withmatzomeal, shreddedcoconut,matzo flour, potato flour, or nut flour (almond,hazelnutetc.) since raw wheat products may not be used.No raising agent may be used due to the strict prohibition of even the appearance of a leavening effect. Therefore, the beating of egg whites in the mix to achieve aeration is an essential characteristic of any Passover sponge recipe. Many families have at least one recipe they pass down through generations, and matzo meal-based cake mixes are available commercially. Several brands are easily found in kosher stores, especially before Passover. Typical flavourings include almonds, apples, dark chocolate, lemon, pecans, and poppy seeds. Apple or orange juice is the liquid ingredient. Milk is avoided because it cannot be included in a dessert to be served after a meat-based meal. The sponge, or a heavier variant in the form of an almond pudding, may be included as an element of the dessert in the Passover meal during theSederservice when it is often combined in serving with a fruitcompote.
TheYule logis a Christmas dessert made from a sheet of sponge cake spread with filling and rolled up. It is topped with chocolate to give the appearance ofbark. Decorative elements like mushrooms made of meringue, spun-sugar spiderwebs or crushedpistachioscan be added to enhance the cake's finished appearance.