Fluffy Sponge Cake and a Trifle Pudding

Sponge cakes are so called because they are as fluffy as a sea sponge. The air incorporated into the batter lifts the cake to make it light and irresistible. Since it is used as a base for many other desserts it’s one of the first cake recipes that I wrote down in my little black book of Baking! (Yes, I have one – though the color is more navy blue than black). There are many variations to turn out a perfect sponge. I use the method which involves creaming the eggs and sugar and adding the melted fat in the end. Some people use oil instead of butter, but I always think butter makes everything better, so you know my leanings! You can eat the sponge cake like a Victorian Sandwich – jam and whipped double cream or use it for a rolled cake like a Swiss Roll. (The flexibility of a sponge cake allows us to roll it without breaking).  I have used it as a base for the popular English Trifle. Now the Trifle is nothing but a combination of layers of cake, custard, fruit and cream. But it is an impressive looking dessert to turn out! I use ready mix custard and jelly which saves me time. You can also go ahead and use a ready cake as the base of the trifle. (I won’t tell anyone!) But it’s so cost effective and easy to make at home, that I desist buying some from the bakery. Once you have all the ingredients, a trifle pudding is just assembly – though you have to wait a trifle between steps. Like George Savile said, “A man who is a master of Patience is a master of everything else”. (I don’t think he had a wife…’master of everything else’ ….hmph!) J

Fluffy Sponge Cake

Prep time: 20 mins

Cooking time: 25 mins

Serves: 4 (makes one 8X8 inch cake or two 20cm round cakes)

What you need:

4 eggs

¾ cup (165 gms) Caster Sugar

1 cup (150 gms) Flour

1 ½ tsp Baking Powder

½ tsp Salt

1 tablespoon Cornflour

10 gms (2 teaspoons) Butter, melted and cooled

1/3 cup (80 ml) Hot Water

What to do:

Pre-heat oven to 180°C for a normal oven or 160°C for a fan-forced oven. Grease one 8x8 inch square cake pans, and line the base with baking paper. (Baking paper makes it easy to remove the sponge cake – other be prepared to lose large chunks to the pan).

Beat eggs in a bowl, using an electric mixer, for about 10 minutes, until thick and creamy. Gradually add sugar, beating until dissolved. Triple-sift flour, baking powder, salt and corn flour together and fold it into the egg mixture gently.  (Folding in flour and other ingredients can be tricky when you use a spoon or spatula, but you can use your fingers to pull the dry ingredients up and through the egg mixture).

Combine the melted butter and the water, pour it down the side of bowl and fold through gently

but thoroughly. Pour mixture into the pan and bake for about 25 minutes. Immediately turn out the sponges to cool, top-side up, onto a wire rack covered with baking paper. Cool and use as you please.  

Basic Trifle Pudding

What you need:

4 cups Vanilla Custard (Prepared from 500ml milk and 3-4 tbsp Custard packet mix)

2 cups Jelly (prepared from 1 packet – I used Rex)

2 cups fresh Cream whipped with 3 Tbsp Sugar

1 Sponge Cake Base

2 cups of mixed Fruit (strawberries, cherries, pineapples, apples, grapes)

What to do:

In a big glass bowl, layer the sponge cake at the base. Put the jelly in as the next layer. Now top with fruits. Pour custard over. (It's better if the custard is thick rather than runny...helps hold the trifle's shape better). Now lightly top with whipped cream. Decorate with fruit slices/ sprinkles. Ready to serve!

Note: You can also make individual portions of trifle, much easier to serve!

Crumb Fried Fish with Lemon Mayonnaise

I made this as soon as I got back from my holiday, but posting it has taken me this long. You know how January is … tying up all the loose ends and brushing away all the lint from the previous year! Anyway I was lusting for some more seafood (The Lankan Hangover I like to call it!) and Fish and Chips always hits the spot. The recipe is so easy I would like to think a kindergarten kid could pull it off (except the frying bit which needs parental intervention). That doesn’t mean you start getting your kids to work in the kitchen…I wouldn’t want to be promoting child labor on this site now would I? Anyway they will be thanking you for this... it’s got a whole fast food aura to it, though you’ll always know its way healthier. Our little secret! 

Crumb Fried Fish with Lemon Mayonnaise

Prep time: 15 mins

Cooking time: 20 mins

Serves: 4

What you need:

8 fillets of Sear/ White fish (800 gms in total)

1 Lemon (juice of)

2 Tbsp Mustard paste

1 tsp Salt

5 Tbsp Corn flour

2 med Eggs

11/2 cups Bread crumbs for coating

For the lemon mayonnaise:

6 Tbsp Mayonnaise

1Lemon (juice of) and rind grated

2 Tbsp Tify Relish

Parsley sprigs to garnish

What to do:

Marinate the fish fillets in lime juice, mustard and salt for 15 mins. Lay out three plates separately with cornflour, bread crumbs and beaten eggs. Heat the oil and check the termperature – a cube of bread should brown in 30 secs. Dip each fillet in corn flour, then in beaten egg an finally cost with bread crumbs. Keep aside on a wire rach for 5 mins. Fry in oil till golden brown. Drain on tissue. Serve with mayo, salad and chunky fries.

To make the Lemon Mayonnaise: Grate the rind of the lemon into the mayonnaise. Extract juice of the lemon and mix in along with the relish. Garnish with parsley.

Note: I served this with a fresh lettuce and red onion salad with a lemon, olive oil and sugar vinaigrette. Tangy goodness!!

 

Bangers and Mash

Bangers and Mash = Sausages and Mashed potatoes. It’s called Bangers because if you don’t poke a hole in the sausages when cooking them, they tend to burst with a “bang”. This is a cheap and economical meal, but there is no compromise on the taste. It's a British favorite and generally there serve whole sausages in gravy. However, I like to slice and dice mine up, so that the rich gravy can coat each mini piece of yumminess (Don’t know if that’s a real word!). The best part about this dish is that I can have it for breakfast or lunch or dinner. Promise you the kids will love them…and so will you. Easy Breezy.


Bangers and Mash

Cooking time – 15 mins
Serves 4

What you need:
8 Medium Size Sausages (Chicken - I like the flavoured ones)
2 Tbsp Oil
2 Med Onions (sliced)
4 Tbsp of Barbeque Sauce
2 Tbsp of Water
Salt and Black Pepper
For the Mash:
800 gm Potatoes
6 Tbsp Milk
1 Tbsp Cream
50 gm Butter
Salt and Black Pepper

What to Do:
Boil water in a saucepan and toss in the sausages for about 5 mins. Drain the water and dice them up. Keep aside.

In the meantime, boil the potatoes in lightly salted water until soft. Drain and keep warm until ready to mash.

Heat Oil in a pan and toss in the slices onions till they turn pink. Then the sausages go in and we need to sauté for 5 mins, till they start turning brown. Now mix the Barbeque sauce with the water, to get a gravy like consistency and pour over the sausages. Stir fry for 2-3 mins till the gravy coats each piece. That's done.

Now mash the potatoes using a masher/ fork. Toss in the butter. The heat from the potatoes will melt it. Stir in the milk (adjust the quantity to how sticky you like the mash to be). Finally season with salt and pepper and mix in the cream.

Serve the Bangers and Mash with a nice Green Salad and you’re set.