Farm Sponge Cake

This cake lends itself to being complimented with a variety of summer berries and slightly sweetened whipped cream. A sponge cake can be served unfrosted or frosted with a slightly thinned vanilla butter cream icing. It would be pretty to garnished the cake with fresh wild rose petals, which by the way are edible. It is a perfect cake for celebrations such as birthdays, graduations, anniversaries, barbeques and summer picnics. There must be absolutely no egg yolk in the egg white mixture, because even the smallest amount will prevent the eggs from whipping properly. I often separate each egg, into a small bowl, before adding it to the larger bowl, to prevent any yolk from going into the bowl with the egg white. Also, the beaters used to beat the egg yolk mixture must be thoroughly washed and rinsed to remove any trace of egg yolk before they are used for whipping the egg white. The success of this cake is all in the method. Using white sugar gives a lighter cake, however, using brown sugar lends a wonderful caramel flavour. I often use up the extra egg yolks by making a batch a batch of hollandaise sauce for eggs Benedict, or to have with asparagus or sole. If your hens are really laying, and you end up with a lot of eggs, this is a good way to use them up, plus this cake is full of healthy protein and fats.

Farm Sponge Cake

11 egg whites at room temp for 30

minutes

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup sugar

6 egg yolks

1/2 cup warm melted lard or butter

1 cup water

2 teaspoons vanilla

2 cups cake flour, or organic

unbleached flour

1 cup granulated or brown sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. This is a three-bowl cake. Bowl 1.) sift together the flour, 1 cup of sugar, the salt and baking powder. Bowl 2.) place the 6 egg yolks and with an electric mixer, beat the oil into the eggs a teaspoon at a time. Add the vanilla and slowly add the water to the egg yolk mixture while beating. Bowl 3.) beat the egg whites until foamy. Add the cream of tartar. Continue to beat until very soft peaks. Slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup sugar and continue to beat, all the while ensuring that the egg whites are at the soft peak stage (the peak flops over). Add the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture a quarter at a time. Continue beating until well blended. Gently stir one third of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk batter, until just blended. Gently fold the remaining egg white mixture into the egg yolk batter. Pour into a tube pan and bake for 60-70 minutes. Invert the pan while cooling and allow cooling completely before removing from the pan. Cut with a serrated knife.