Let’s eat blog hop

 

If you have come here from the fabulous and creative Rinda at Gallo Organico, welcome to the hop, if you don’t know what I’m talking about, we are having a food related blog hop, head over to Amy’s blog to see the details. Big thanks to Amy for organising this tasty trip around the globe.

However you came here, Welcome, come in and have a slice of sponge cake. Can I tempt you with a cupcake, or a slice of the round iced cake? 

I think the first recipe that I knew from memory was for a basic ‘weight of an egg sponge’.  For each egg use 2oz (56g) each of self-rising flour, sugar and butter.  We put them all in a bowl and then mixed with the handheld beater until all mixed. 

When I was a kid, I remember helping to make cake at the weekend.  We made a big batch of the basic mixture and then divided into three bowls.   Some would be made in a round tin and some would become cupcakes. I was allowed to choose the flavour, topping and shape for one of the batches. Some of the favourites that I remember are:

* adding drinking chocolate or cocoa, sometimes with some coffee too with melted chocolate on top

* adding ginger in syrup to either the cake or the butter icing

* mixing in desiccated coconut then putting red jam and coconut on top

* mixing in raisins and some spice

* adding some lemon or orange juice and zest and then making icing with the same juice

The cakes were baked at 180C (350F/Gas 4).  Check at 20 minutes or earlier if you smell burning. It is ready when the cake has moved away from the side and when you gently press the top it bounces back instead of retaining a dimple.  Put the tin on a wire cooling rack and wait until it is cold before removing from the tin and icing.

We used two basic toppings: glaze icing and butter icing.  For glaze icing put a cup of icing sugar in a bowl and slowly add some liquid – 2 teaspoons to start  and stir until it is the consistency you want to either spread or drizzle on the cake.  The liquid can be water or a flavour such as lemon juice. 

Butter icing uses 2oz (56g) soft butter, 4 oz (120g) icing sugar (approx) and 1 tablespoons of a liquid flavour such as coffee or orange juice. Add the icing sugar in batches, stirring well until it tastes nice and will hold its shape. Spread over the cake.

Hope you enjoyed my memories of baking as a child, I certainly did.  Now hop over to Elizabeth at emhowl.

[cake graphic from Scrapsisters – with some tweaking]