The Secret of Perfect Cotton Sponge

When everybody's favourite baking teacher and publisher,  chef Alex Goh, listed his telephone number in his cookbooks, there's temptation to dial it, like 911 emergencies, when pictures from his books fail to transpire in real life.

In the case of his Japanese cotton sponge cake, rated as "very difficult" at 4 stars, he warns of getting the egg white consistency right, not to over bake nor use too hot a temperature. This cake is prone to collapse and shrinkage. He recommends cooking in a Swiss roll pan at 170 deg Celsius for 25 minutes.

Traditionally, this cake is baked in a wooden rectangular mould. The honey and mirin flavoured version is known as Castella or Kasutera cake. Unlike the modern cake, traditional recipes do not have oil or emulsifier to keep the cake moist. Instead, the invert sugar in honey retains moistness.

Blogosphere has the secret to success: Trim off the ugly bits and photograph an illusion. There you have it, the secret of the perfect cotton sponge.

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Cotton Sponge

Moist, good eating. A combination of whisked eggs and soft wheat flour gives this sponge its soft, tender, pillowy, cotton texture. The best flour to use is a combination of Australian plain flour and a low gluten, soft wheat flour from oriental stores.

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Sacher Torte

There are many versions of this famous rich chocolate cake from Austria. The original recipe is still a secret. Here is one adapted from the Australian Women's Weekly.

Batter:
80 g sugar
100 g butter
40 g (2) egg yolk
100 g dark chocolate, melted
100 g flour (50:50 flour to starch)

Foam:
20 g icing
80 g (2) egg white
Pinch cream of tartar

Filling:
1/2 c apricot jam

Ganache:
100 g dark chocolate, melted
100 g whipping cream


To make the cake, prepare the batter by creaming the butter and sugar.

Add the egg yolk and chocolate, beating well until light.

Fold in the flour.

In a separate bowl make the foam by whisking the egg white and gradually adding the sugar. 

Whisk in the cream of tartar.

Fold the foam into the batter.

Spread the mixture into a bottom lined 18 cm round tin.

Bake for 30 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius.

Cool. Split in half and fill with warmed jam. Brush all over with remaining jam.

Make ganache by whisking melted chocolate with the cream until smooth. Spread over the filled cake.

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Chocolate Brownies

Rich dark chocolate with high cocoa butter content went into these calorific brownies made using Donna Hay's website recipe. These head spinning indulgent brownies contain 250 g butter and 4 eggs, double that of the average family recipe. Super charged with cocoa powder, they are enough to turn anyone into a chocolate addict on first bite.

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King Arthur's Chocolate Chip Brownies

Adapted from a recipe by King Arthur's Flour

2 eggs

55 g (1/2c) cocoa

1/2 t  salt

1/2 t baking powder

2 t vanilla

2 t brewed coffee, optional

125 g butter, melted

225 g (1c) sugar

90 g (1/2c) flour 

170 g (3/4c) baking chocolate chips

Combine all and mix well with a wooden spoon. Pour into a lined 20 cm square baking tin. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes until just cooked. When testing with a skewer, the batter should just be set with a few wet crumbs. Bake less for a gooey centre or longer for a cakey texture.

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The Only Cake and Sponge Recipes Every Cook Needs to Know

Techniques to make great cakes come from experience, ingredient knowledge and observation of the masters at their craft. Here are the basic recipes from which to refine and to hone skills.

Butter Cake (Victoria Sandwich)
125 g (1/2 c) butter
125 g (1/2 c) sugar
125 g (1 c) SR flour
2 eggs
1/2 t vanilla essence

1. Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.
2. Beat in the eggs one at a time.
3. Add the vanilla.
4. Fold in the flour.
5. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes for 2x18 cm tins or 50 minutes for deep 20 cm tin.

Tip: Grease and dust the cake tins.


Sponge
4 eggs
125 g (1/2 c) sugar
125 g (1 c) SR flour
1 tablespoon hot water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

1. Whisk egg and sugar until thick and creamy.
2. Fold in hot water and vanilla.
3. Fold in flour.
4. Bake at 180 degrees Celsius for 12 minutes for 2x20 cm sponge sandwiches.

Tip: Grease tin and line bottom with greaseproof paper. Dust with flour if wanted.


Genoise Sponge (French Butter Sponge)
4 eggs
150 g (2/3 c) sugar
125 g (1 c) flour
125 g (1/2 c) butter, melted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence

1. Whisk eggs and sugar until thick and creamy.
2. Fold in flour.
3. Fold in melted butter and vanilla.
4. Bake at 190 degrees Celsius for 20-30 minutes for 2x18 cm tins or 1x20 cm tin.

Tip: Grease and flour the cake tins.


Chiffon Sponge
4 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
4 egg yolks
125 g (1/2 c) sugar
60 mL (1/4 c) water
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
60 g (1/4 c) melted butter
125 g (1 c) flour
1.5 teaspoon baking powder

1. Whisk egg whites with cream of tartar until very stiff and glossy.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk egg yolks, sugar and liquids until thick and creamy.
3. Fold oil into egg yolk mixture.
4. Fold sifted flour and baking powder into egg yolk mixture.
5. Fold egg white into egg yolk mixture.
6. Bake at 160 degrees Celsius for 45 minutes in 20 cm chiffon tube pan or ring tin.
7. Invert the tin for cooling.

Tip: Do not grease the tube pan.

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Chocolate Fudge Brownies by Donna Hay

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Beef Paprikash

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Cooking in a Chiminea

Fire up the chiminea, an hour before cooking.

Rake the coals down for slow roasting. Low coals work well for whole chicken. Place the chicken on the rack half way up the chiminea, away from direct heat. Keep the chimney partially open, and check that the temperature at the chimney is above 75 deg Celsius.

Wait for 2 hours. The chicken meat should be pink when cooked. If needed, crisp the skin at 220 degrees in a hot oven after removing from the chiminea.

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Chiminea Slow Cooked Chicken

French style stuffed chicken cooked over charcoals in a chiminea for 2 hours. Smoked to pink juicy perfection. Finished in a bench top fan forced broiler to a golden crispy work of art.

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