A Spectacular Double Layer Sponge Cake

A Cake Fit For A Birthday - Friday Food Chat with Kath

It’s my birthday so let’s all enjoy some cake!

I made this sponge a few weeks ago, and I think it would make the perfect celebration cake. It’s easy to make compared to other layer cakes but presents so well. Try to get the best quality cream and berries you can as the sponge is simple, so the flavour all comes from the vanilla infused cream and whatever berries you use to decorate.

I made this one using smaller duck eggs, which is why the colour of the cake is so yellow! Try to use larger chicken eggs for this recipe, and if you happen to have duck eggs use one less if they are larger in size.

I say this cake serves about 8 despite it’s size, as while it could definitely serve more, it can be a difficult one to cut into smaller portions particularly when it is first assembled. While sponge cakes are best eaten at room temperature (and soon after assembly) it is easier to cut once it has had some time in the fridge as I found when eating leftovers of this one!

A Double Layer Sponge with Berries

Ingredients:

6 eggs, at room temperature (duck eggs work well, if larger in size use one less)

150g caster sugar

200g self raising flour, plus extra (for tin)

1.5 tbsp cornflour

Butter, for greasing the tin

Ingredients for the Filling/Topping:

300 ml pouring cream

Seeds of one vanilla pod or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Berries*, for filling and topping

Edible flowers, for decoration (optional)

Method:

Preheat oven to 180 degrees Celsius and lightly grease two 20cm round springform or loose bottomed cake tins with butter, then dust with some flour and tap off any excess.

In a medium bowl add the flour, then and sift over the cornflour. Whisk to combine and set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the eggs on medium-high speed. Gradually add the sugar whilst the mixer is running. Whisk for about 5 minutes, or until the egg mixture has doubled in size.

Remove the bowl from the stand mixer and using a large metal spoon fold in the flour mixture in about three stages. Carefully fold in, working as quickly and gently as possible to ensure the flour is combined but the mixture stays nicely aerated.

Pour the batter evenly between the two prepared tins and gently smooth the top of each. Place in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until the sponges have risen and spring back when gently touched.

Allow to cool in their tins for a few minutes, before removing and allowing to cool on baking paper lined wire racks.

Once the sponges have cooled, place one on to a serving plate or cake stand. In a medium bowl (or use your stand mixer again), whip the cream and vanilla until soft peaks form. Spread half the cream over the first sponge, scatter over some berries and push them into the cream a bit so the next sponge layer can sit evenly. Top with the second sponge, and spread over the remaining cream. Decorate with berries and edible flowers.

Serves 8 (at least!). Cake is best served the day it is made, however leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for a couple of days.

*you can use whatever berries you like. I bought one punnet each of raspberries, blueberries, blackberries and strawberries and had leftovers of each after filling the middle and top of the cake. Cut any larger berries in half or quarter.

The last paid subscribers newsletter was an Heirloom Recipe from my Grandma’s collection for savoury pikelets! Take a look here and sign up to get it all straight to your inbox or Substack feed!

---

Peach Melba Inspired Cake

I made this cake for The Healthy Baker last year, and it would also make a great celebration cake. This cake uses peach jam and fresh raspberries inside the cake, along with vanilla buttercream as a nod to a traditional peach melba dessert.

If you enjoy these newsletters and want more baking, food and cookbook chat, I invite you to join me over on my paid newsletter Extra Food Chat with Kath today.

Paid subscribers get to share in my Heirloom Recipe Series were I am baking my way through my Grandma’s handwritten recipes and are immersed in more cookbook chat so you can more easily decide which cookbooks to add to your collection next.

Upgrade now by clicking the upgrade button below, to join a little community of food and cookbook lovers, and have a bit more food chat in your life.