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Sponge Cake

September 27, 2010 by Tarrant Figlio

My daughter bakes all the time. She loves it. She gets birthday cake requests from EVERYONE…except me (or Denise). I teased her about not offering to bake me a cake a few weeks ago. Last weekend she found one that she wanted to bake, but we inexplicably had no baking soda.

Daughter felt sad–me not so much. I like cake well enough; I just don’t hanker for it in general. Perhaps part of the problem, I did not have a “favorite” cake for her to make.

I might have chosen this one though because I love sponge cakes even though no one has ever made me one for my birthday (or anything else) Sponge cakes are the opposite of Angel Food cakes and really should carry the name Devil’s Food. They don’t though and this lightly lemon cake has you dream of angels and more.

This recipe comes from “Learn to Bake — You’ll Love It” a 1947 promotional cookbook from General Foods.

Definitely sift. Use a mixer though, (with two bowls) unless you are wicked good with a rotary egg beater.

Swans Down Sponge Loaf (5 eggs)

1 cup sifted Swans Down Cake Flour
5 egg yolks (at room temperpature)
1 cup sifted sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons grated lemon rind
1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice
5 egg whites (at room temperature)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

Sift flour once, measure and sift four times.

Beat egg yolks in small bowl, adding 1/2 cup sugar gradually, beating consistently with rotary egg beater. Combine lemon rind, lemon juice, and water and add to egg mixture gradually, beating constantly until very thick and light. Add flour all at once and fold in until just blended.

Beat egg whites and salt with flat wire whisk or rotary egg beater until foamy. Then add cream of tartar and beat until stiff enough to hold up in peaks, but not dry. Add remaining 1/2 cup sugar, about 2 tablespoons at a time, beating well with whisk or beater. Fold in egg yolk mixture.

Turn into ungreased round 9-inch tube pan. Bake in moderate oven. (375 F) 30 minutes or until done. Remove from oven and invert pan 1 hour, or until cold.

To serve, cut in wedges and top with Cocoa Whipped Cream. Or Strawberry Fluff Frosting. (Or leave it alone–no reason to gild this lily)

Category Cake, Recipes, retro food | Tags: | 3 Comments
Angel Food Cake with Green Grapes

July 6, 2010 by Tarrant Figlio

Everyone seems to serve angel food cake with strawberries. I am not a strawberry fan. There…I confessed it. I only like small, homegrown strawberries warm from the sun and very ripe.

I love the fact this version, found taped in the front of an old cookbook uses grapes or blueberries as the topping. The sour cream/brown sugar mixture is a nice change of pace from pudding or whipped cream.

Wash and chill about one pound of seedless green grapes (or blueberries). Mix 2 cups cold sour cream with 1 cup brown sugar. Stir until well dissolved; fold in chilled grapes. Put on top of cake, filling center completely and running down sides decoratively. Serve immediately; cake tastes better when topping is cold.

Category Cake, Desserts, Recipes | Tags: | 1 Comment
Of Cake Wrecks and Birthday Girls

October 26, 2009 by Tarrant Figlio

My ~~13 yo~~ 14 yo (ok…she will be 14 in a day) has a thing for vampires. She is after all…the AGE. So we have gone through Twilight, through Sookie Stackhouse, Vampire Academy, classic vampire fiction, and through a number of the sketchy genre called paranormal romances. Yes, we. You see, I have this annoying habit of taking an interest in what my children enjoy. It has given me hours of Runescape joy, Animorphs pain, too much knowledge of Neopets, Jelly Car, Pirates, Smashing Pumpkins, Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson and now vampires. (Not all the same children-though some overlap)

On September 22nd I sent the girl child this Cake Wreck

She emailed back and said OMG, I want that EXACT cake for my birthday. I emailed back with “uh, you know it is a cake wreck right?” She wrote back with “What is a cake wreck?” Whereupon I emailed her and said she really should spend more time shoulder surfing with her siblings. (who are very into the joys of the cake wreck) In any case, she still wanted it for her birthday.

Last week, I said to Denise: We need to order that cake wreck for RJ’s birthday. “What cake wreck? Why?” “You know that one she wants for her birthday.” (Forgetting like the children that we do not share a brain.) So I sent her the picture thinking no problem. You probably can order ice cream cakes online for Twilight and be done with it. Fortunately, Denise didn’t think so and looked into it. Apparently the Twilight cakes are hard to get. She special ordered the printed sugar plastic thingy thinking ok, we will do it ourselves. It came in the mail. Then commenced the hunt for the cake. Hunt was right. Apparently, sheet ice cream cakes are out of vogue. Four ice cream places scouted-no sheet cakes-all round. Finally, Jewel Osco had some rectangular ones but they were too small. Oh well. We will trim and fit.

Yesterday Denise did just that–but she definitely is not a cake decorator. So, there was a cake wreck of a cake wreck:

It was even better once children decided where to put candles…yeah…well…they are unusual children. Birthday girl loved it. Denise saved the day with her cake wreck and careful work of love.

Category Cake | Tags: | 2 Comments
11 Now-Elizabeth’s Moist Normal Chocolate Cake

August 17, 2009 by Tarrant Figlio

One and One make 11 or so the riddle you loved for a time went. Today you turned 11.

11 years and a day ago I made Jim Bars for the nursing staff that would be helping bring you into the world. Two weeks late and nary a budge toward labor, though your gymnastics made up for that lack of movement. You see, I knew I was going to have you that day. The doctor had set the date for eviction proceedings. This meant a lot of tubes and medical equipment I wasn’t too happy about (and neither were you for that matter) and I was pretty much tied to the bed or the chair next to the bed while in labor with you. So, of course the tv was on. Unfortunately, the news was all about Monica Lewinsky and Bill Clinton that day, his taped testimony, his improper relationship, riveting I suppose if you weren’t waiting for your very own special news. Strangely television didn’t cover my labor with you. I did have a laptop then. I had a flame war on one of my boards that I tended at that time for Parent Soup. It seemed a good enough way to spend that waiting time for a while. Eventually though that was left behind as well. It kept me distracted for those last hours before you were born though. Distracted from wondering how your siblings were doing. (Though immediately after you were born, I posted to my boards and emailed everyone I knew-No Twitter then)

But, then you came along and have distracted me ever since. You were the baby who nursed for a long time. You were the baby who didn’t nap and as I told your sister the other night, I am not 100% sure that you have yet to sleep through the night. You bounce, you cuddle, you smile, you love. You my tiniest child, my baby are growing up and surprise me each and every day. At the end of the month you start middle school. I am quite sure that it was only yesterday I was prising you off to have mommy and me time one morning a week.

Even now though you are my special fairy child. Sometimes a bird like eater–but not today. Today you had Krispy Kremes for breakfast. You chose Eggs Benedict for dinner.

For cake though you had an extra special request-made weeks ago-that I make it and I make a “normal” cake. Other moms might have been confused. I wasn’t. You see, my mother made cakes from scratch, when I desired a box cake like the other kids.

So, you had your “normal chocolate cake”, no icing, just a sprinkling of powdered sugar. You will eat some frosting now but you still dislike frosting. Years of thinking around this problem has created quite the number of innovations for school cupcakes. It has been a long time since I baked a cake for your birthday, not cupcakes, not getting an ice cream cake or a slice at a restaurant. I loved making that cake today. For you, my youngest, my piece of my heart that is wild and free.

And besides love…here is how I made your “normal cake”

Elizabeth’s Chocolate Birthday Cake

1 box chocolate cake mix
1 large box instant chocolate pudding
4 eggs
3/4 cup water
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup oil

Mix on low until blended. Mix at a higher speed until it turns a lighter color. Then pour into a well greased bundt pan and bake for 45 minutes or until done. Let rest a moment or two then turn onto plate. Dust with powdered sugar.

Category Cake, retro food | Tags: | 1 Comment