Sponge disaster

elliehen, Aug 8, 4:48am
I don't have a photo, but believe me, this one is idiot-proof :)It's almost identical to Annabel Langbein's recipe in her book, 'Anyone Can Bake'.

ABSOLUTELY BEST-EVER SPONGE (from the Christchurch Press)
Assemble all ingredients
Have eggs at room temperature
Sift 1/2 cup cornflour
2 teaspoons ordinary flour
1 teaspoon baking powder

Line sponge roll pan with baking paper

Separate 3 eggs
Beat whites till soft peaks form
Slowly add 1/2 cup caster sugar, beating all the time
Add yolks and beat till rich mix
Add all sifted dry ingredients and stir to combine
Pour mix into pan and drop sharply onto bench (releases air bubbles)

Bake 180*C for 15 minutes
Drop again on bench after removing from oven
Rest it for 5-10 minutes before removing
Cool, cut in half, fill with fruit and whipped cream and place other half on top

Can be made in two round sponge pans, or rolled

samsnan, Aug 8, 4:49am
lol kate they would make good frisbees.

lx4000, Aug 8, 4:55am
wahahahahahaha I miss took the salt for caster sugar as a kid when I decided to make a sponge. Never ever tried to make another to this day! My friend and I used them as Frisbees on da road !wahahahahaha Oh and I did and the pinch of salt as stated in the recipe!hehehehe

elliehen, Aug 8, 4:57am
There's nothing wrong with the chocolate muffins, so it has to be the fault of the recipe, not the baker ;)

elliehen, Aug 8, 4:59am
lx4000, please try the one I posted above - I made frisbees until I stumbled upon this one :)

kate113, Aug 8, 8:08am
Well to be honest the chocolate muffins were made using the bin inn mix, and they are ok, but slightly overdone as I was on the phone!I will have a go at your sponge recipe tomorrow, thanks

cgvl, Aug 8, 8:53am
oh yummy trifle for pudding.
I've made a few like that. I use the Fielders sponge recipe, best Ive come across.
If you didn't do it, drop, your mix in the pans, lightly on bench before putting into oven and again when you've taken it from the oven, helps to stop the sinking feeling.

kuaka, Aug 8, 9:27am
Oh they look better than my scones usually do, about twice as high in fact!My scones are like a cross between rock cakes and wafers!

vixx11, Aug 8, 9:29am
heheee same!

winnie231, Aug 8, 9:33am
NEVER fail Sponge
I never had success with a sponge til I used this recipe 4 eggs.3/4 cup sugar 2 Tablesp.water.1 1/3 cups cornflour.1 heaped teasp Baking powder vanilla Beat the egg whites well Boil water & sugar then add to whites while hot Beat again.add yolks.beat Fold in dry ingreds Bake at 185 C for 15 mins USE 2 big round tins ( approx 22cms ) If you have smaller tins make 3/4 of the recipe. posted by scha

Never Fail Sponge
4 eggs,3/4 Cup White Sugar,1 Tablespoon flour in cup. Fill up rest of cup with cornflour 2 teaspoons baking powder,1 Tablespoon boiling water. Method Beat 4 egg whites with 1 Tblspn of boiling water until stiff. Add 3/4 cup sugar slowly. Beat until dissolved. Mix in yolks one at a time. Put flour in a cup, fill up the rest with cornflour. Sift with baking powder. Fold into mixture. Put into two sponge tins and bake at 180&degC; for 20-25 minutes. Drop sponges on bench when taken out of oven.
posted by pam.delilah

kinna54, Aug 8, 9:39am
I have used the recipe handed down by my mum, courtesy of mr Fielder. It never fails. Secret to a good sponge is in the beating, and the dropping on the floor as you take it out of the oven. My mum and her friend used to have competitions making sponges, true as I'm here their sponges used to get to 10inches high. posting fielders recipe for you.

Classic “Fielders” Sponge Cake

3 eggs
Pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup Fielders maize cornflour
1 dsp flour
1 tsp baking powder

Separate eggs.
Beat the egg whites with salt until stiff.
Add sugar *gradually* whilst continuing beating, and beat until stiff and sugar has dissolved.
Add egg yolks and beat in until blended.
Sift together cornflour, flour and baking powder and fold into mixture.
Pour the mixture into 220cm greased and lined sandwichtins. *(sides lined as well.)*
Bake at 190deg for 15-20mins.

When removing from the oven holdthe tins evenly at about calf height and drop them onto the floor.
(yes! This releases air and makes the sponge rise.)
When cold sandwich the 2sponge halves together with raspberry jam and cream or jelly and cream.
Dust the top with sifted icing sugar.

harrislucinda, Aug 8, 9:56am
yes it is in the beatingof eggs andsugar
trybeating for atleast10mins

pickles7, Aug 8, 10:29am
kate113. We all have those moments. You probably will never do it again. I have used duck eggs for baking with, but found them to be too strong, for sponge cake. Good luck next time.

cgvl, Aug 8, 10:51am
kinna that is the recipe I use. My mother says she only can make a good sponge every 7 years and used to get peeved with me as I turned them out week after week. As a teenager I had a choice on saturday mornings of doing the baking or the washing, guess I chose the baking although baking for eight was a chore in itself.
#1 try again and remember a failure is never a failure with baking, you can always turn it into something else. If you happen to burn the outer edge just trim it up and ice no one except you will ever know, done here many a time, cakes with no rise, become trifle or crumbed and bases for slices or cheesecake.
Have fun.

nzhel, Aug 8, 10:56am
The muffins at the back tho look great!

lythande1, Aug 8, 7:57pm
Looks like a lack of baking powder to me.
I've made sponge with duck eggs, didn't have an issue.

harrislucinda, Aug 8, 9:38pm
ifusingduckeggswouldyouneedto ajustthedryingred
astheyhavesomemuchmorewhitesmakingthemixtoomoist

pickles7, Aug 8, 9:52pm
They have a lot more fat, in the yolks.
We couldn't eat them, at all. The duck eggs were over powering and you could smell them before you got the sponge in your mouth . We had Muscovy ducks, ended up selling the eggs. Some people eat the eggs fried.

kate113, Aug 9, 6:29am
Thanks for all the comments and recipes, I used to have muscovies Pickle7 and wouldn't have fancied eating their eggs, the ones I have now are mostly just farmyard ducks and I've tasted a bit of one of the 'frisbees'and it has no unusual smell or taste.I didn't have time for any baking today, but will try again soon.

flower-child01, Aug 9, 7:11am
A simple, easy, detailed recipe is this one http://brama-sole.co.nz/recipes/sponge/ It all boils down to beat the living daylights out of the eggs, banging it prior to going in the oven and after. I have to edit the recipe to note: you do not need to fold in the ingredients, beating the butter, milk and flour in with a mixer works just as good. Once you have mastered this one, any others are easy as.

lindylambchops1, Aug 9, 7:23am
Can't beat a nice jam & cream sponge!Will try Bramasole's recipe.I like the throw it all in together & beat the hell out of it kind of recipe.Thanks for sharing.

dollmakernz, Aug 9, 10:21am
LOL! Just say they're big pikelets!

kate113, Aug 9, 10:29am
Haha, well you are close enough to give me some lessons!