Sponge Layer Cake with Jam & Cream

I have made butterfly cakes before, and loved them, but it wasn't until a friend at work brought in butterfly cakes with "Mascarpone Cream" that I had the urge to make them again - but BETTER! I even decided to use an entirely different recipe for the sponge to experiment a little. As I was mixing the ingredients and getting ready to start the actual 'baking' process I realised that we hadn't unpacked all of my baking trays - including all my muffin and cupcake pans! :( So rather than go digging in the shed I decided to make a sponge layer cake instead.

I poured the batter into two of my cake tins and put them in the oven.  They didn't seem to be cooking right so I assumed the whole thing was going to be a flop.  I didn't mind that much though because in my mind the cake was only a means to an end - to have jam and mascarpone cream.....mmmm....

Once I took the cakes out of the oven, turned them out and let them cool I assembled them with a generous helpings of that delicious cream.  I cut a slice each for my mum and me and we devoured them with a cup of tea.  The cream was perfect, just the right amount of jam and surprisingly the cake was great too!  The next morning a cut the cake up into quarters, one quarter for Aaron - my trusty 'baking tester', one for the McCauls, and one for mum/at home.  I ended up not being able to give Aaron his share so mum took it with her to work instead.   Reports back from Trud revealed that she really loved the sponge cake and that sponge is apparently hard to make?! :S So that was definitely an unexpected surprise! :D  All in all, not a bad recipe...if you're in the mood for something plainer and cream...

Sponge Layer Cake with Jam & Cream

Sponge Mix

Ingredients:

• 115g butter
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla essence (1/2 tsp vanilla extract)
• 2 large eggs, lightly beaten (I forgot to lightly beat them and it worked anyway)
• 1 ½ cups SR flour, sifted
• ½ cup + 1 Tbsp milk

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 and line two round cake tins with baking paper and non-stick spray
2. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla with an electric mixer light and creamy.
3. Gradually mix in eggs.
4. Add the flour and milk alternating between the two.
5. Divide mixture evenly between the two baking trays and bake till a skewer inserted comes out clean – they should spring back when touched.
6. Turn out onto cooling racks and let cool completely before assembling.

Filling:

• ½ cup thickened cream
• ½ cup mascarpone cheese
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• 3 tbsp caster sugar
• Strawberry jam

Method:

1. Whip ingredients until soft peaks form.
2. Keep cold/refrigerated until spreading onto the sponge cake.

Assembly:

1. Place one sponge cake on a large plate then spread strawberry jam evenly across the top – as much as you desire.
2. Evenly spread the mascarpone cream over the top of the jam, to about 3cm from the edge of the cake – sparing one spoonful of cream.
3. Place the other sponge cake on top, do not press down firmly or cream will be pushed out the sides of the layers.
4. Dollop the remaining spoonful of cream on top, with a teaspoon of jam.
5. Dust with icing sugar and serve. Best with a cup of tea.

Love in Baking, Passionate Baker! 2:D

Aunty Rel's Chocolate Caramel Slice

There is an ongoing tradition between my Aunty (great Aunty) and my mum for as long as I can remember that we make my Aunty a decorative box of some sort and she bakes us a tray of her famous Chocolate Caramel Slice.  For several years my mum was able to celebrate the fact that all of us kids were too young, and perhaps too stubborn, to try the slice and therefore mum had the luxury of having the whole lot to herself.

It wasn’t until one year when mum placed about half of the batch in the freezer, and I tried a slice semi-defrosted that mums’ luck would change.  From the second my teeth sunk into that anzac biscuit-like base, sweet caramel filling and smooth chocolate topping I was addicted!  The only problem with this amazing slice is that you can’t just have one piece!  It’s sooooo morish it can almost be sickly, but by the time you’ve finished one piece and attempt to walk away you can’t help but to have another – especially if it’s straight out of the freezer because then the sweetness doesn’t hit you till after!

Not long after I developed my ‘relationship’ with Aunty Rel’s slice, my youngest brother finally tried it – turns out he’s an even BIGGER ‘addict’ than both my mum and I combined!  So now, unfortunately mum has to share her Christmas tradition with 3 people.  As a result, after much begging, grovelling and bartering, I convinced my Aunty Rel to give me the recipe.  Unfortunately at the time she wrote it down for me I was unable to bake – I was moving house, finishing uni, all very hectic.  It wasn’t until I had settled down in our new ‘farmhouse’, with my new kitchen that is so perfect for baking, that I finally made the masterpiece that is Aunty Rel’s slice.

Prior to setting out to bake the unbakeable I was certain that it would be a failure.  Despite my pessimistic outset, the finished product resembled almost the same beautiful slice that my Aunty Rel had made us so many years in a row.  Although I’d eaten my fair share of the base mixture, condensed milk and melted chocolate/copha mix that were all leftover in the baking bowls – I still managed to have a ‘frozen’ piece just before bed that night.  It was definitely as good as I remembered and so dam addictive!

I separated the tray into a ‘work’ container, ‘home’ container and a ‘McCauls’ container.  I had promised my Aunty Trudy some of the slice right back when I’d first gotten the recipe off Aunty Rel – and considering Trud had been there watching me make the slice I couldn’t not send them up a container.

The lot I took into work lasted mere minutes, and it was declared (either directly or implied through the ample consumption that had taken place) that Aunty Rel’s slice was by far my best baked good that I had ever taken into work.  Unfortunately though, that also meant there were no left overs to take home or share with friends.  Another merit to the slices’ success was that everyone who had tried a piece demanded a copy of the recipe.  I wasn’t sure when I would have a chance to get the recipe up onto my blog, so I typed up the recipe from memory (surprisingly well) and emailed it out to them all.  I also sent a copy to Trudy, in hope we’d make it together next time.

Aunty Rel’s Chocolate Caramel Slice

Base:

• 1 Cup SR flour
• 1 Cup brown sugar
• 1 Cup coconut
• 125g melted butter

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 180 and line a baking tray.
2. Combine all dry ingredients then mix through the melted butter.
3. Press the mixture firmly into the baking tray and bake for approximately 10 minutes.  Do not bake for too long as the slice returns to the oven in the next step.
4. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

 

Filling:

• 1 can condensed milk (400ml)
• 2 Tbsp golden syrup
• 1 Tbsp butter

Method:

1. Combine ingredients in a saucepan and bring to the boil over medium heat.
2. Stir constantly for approximately 5 minutes whilst boiling or until the caramel starts to crystallise and darken (forming small bubbles on the bottom of the saucepan).  Do not boil for too long or the caramel will burn or harden too much when set.
3. Pour caramel evenly over the base and return to the oven for a further 10 minutes.
4. Remove from the oven and let cool entirely.

Topping

• 150g milk chocolate (buttons)
• 20g copha

Method:

1. Melt ingredients, stirring constantly, in a bowl over a saucepan of boiling water (ensure that the boiling water is not touching the bowl).
2. Pour melted chocolate over the base and caramel and spread evenly.
3. Refrigerate till set.
4. Slice and serve.  This recipe is also suitable for freezing (I like mine best out of the freezer, slightly thawed).

Love in Baking, Passionate Baker! 2:D