Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Hema's Black Currant Sponge Cake

I had been wanting to try this recipe out when I finally got it -Yes! Only problem was, I could not find the black currants although I searched far and wide. Not to be stymied by a bit of fruit, I substituted other dried fruit (a mixture of dried blueberries, strawberries, and cherries) and also made it egg-less! I used a 9" round pan and it was just barely big enough to hold all of the batter. Although there were no spills with the 9" pan, a bigger pan such as a 9"x13" pan might be better.

All said and done, the cake turned out great. The lovely surprise was the almost crispy golden crust it developed!

If the proof of the cake is in the eating, then this cake definitely is a keeper as it disappeared rather quickly. The chunks of dried fruit contrasts deliciously with the sweet cake. It is a yummy cake and needs no topping or icing; besides, why would one want to hide the beautiful golden crust? But if you must have a topping, I would either just give it a light dusting of snowy powdered sugar or drizzle a little of the powdered sugar and lemon/orange juice icing. Enjoy :P!

Here is Hema's original recipe (+ the additions/substitutions).

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, 2 sticks or Vegan Substitute
1 cup Sugar
3 large Eggs (I used 3 T cornstarch + 6 T water)
1 tsp Vanilla essence
1/4 cup milk, any kind (I used 1/2 cup)
2 cups Unbleached All Purpose Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder (I used 2 1/2 tsp)
1/2 tsp Sea Salt
1/4 cup Black Currants (I used 1/2 cup dried fruits)

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Sift the flour, baking powder and salt (if using unsalted butter) together twice to mix thoroughly.

Cream the butter and sugar and beat until fluffy.

Beat the corn starch and water (or the eggs) separately until frothy and add to the butter mix; beat well.

Add the flour little by little alternating with the essence and milk, ending with flour (if the batter seems too thick add a little more milk before adding the last of the flour). Beat for 2 minutes.

Coat the currants/dried fruit with a little flour and add to the batter. Mix lightly.

Pour the batter into a greased 8 by 8" or 9" round pan.

Bake for 30 to 40 minutes or till done. (I had to bake the cake 10 more minutes, for a total of 50 minutes.)

Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes.

Cool on a wire rack after removing the cake from the pan. (Add icing when completely cool.)

Cut the cake when completely cool.

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