Vanilla Sponge Cake For Zuccotto Recipes

ZUCCOTTO

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Place hazelnuts in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet; toast until skins begin to split, about 10 minutes. Rub warm nuts vigorously with a clean kitchen towel to remove skins. Return to baking sheet; toast until fragrant and golden brown, about 1 minute more. Cool; coarsely chop. Set aside.
• In a small saucepan, combine sugar, water, and liqueur if using. Bring to a boil; stir until sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat; set aside to cool completely. Line a 9-by-5-inch domed metal or glass bowl with plastic wrap.
• Cut rectangular sponge cake into thirds crosswise and lengthwise, making 9 rectangles. Reserve round sponge cake layer to use on top. Cut each rectangle diagonally in half, forming 18 triangles. Brush both sides of each triangle with some syrup. Line inside of bowl with triangle slices, pointed ends facing bottom of bowl, to form a sunburst pattern. Fit slices snugly so bowl is completely lined. Use small pieces of syrup-brushed cake to fill in gaps. Trim the cake top to make it even. Transfer lined bowl to refrigerator.
• Place cream and confectioners' sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment. Beat on medium until stiff, about 3 minutes. Gently fold in reserved nuts, toffee, and raspberries. Remove lined bowl from refrigerator, fill with cream mixture, and cover top with cake round. This will become bottom of zuccotto when unmolded. Cover with plastic wrap; refrigerate 12 hours or overnight.
• Place a wire rack on top of bowl, and invert zuccotto onto rack. Place on a rimmed baking sheet. Remove bowl and plastic wrap. Using a ladle, pour ganache over top of dome, letting excess drip down sides onto rack. Make sure to coat entire surface of the zuccotto. Cut into wedges. Ladle with creme anglaise. Serve immediately, garnishedwith chopped toffee, nuts, and berries.

EASY VANILLA SPONGE CAKE RECIPE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven at 180C/375F or 160C/320F (fan oven)
• Prepare the baking tins (2 X 8-Inch). Grease cake tin and line the bottom with a parchment paper.
• Using a hand mixer or stand mixer
• Start by creaming the sugar and butter together until light and fluffy. This should be about 3 to 5 minutes
• Then add the eggs one at a time along with the vanilla essence and mix until combined
• Add the flour and (baking powder if using).
• Using a wooden spoon or spatula, fold the flour into the mixture until well combined. Lastly, add the milk and mix till well incorporated into the batter.
• Divide the batter between the prepared tins and bake in the oven for between 25 to 30 minutes or until skewer/cake tester comes out clean.
• Remove cake from the oven and leave to cool (2 to 5 minutes), remove from the tin and place on a cooling rack.

VANILLA SPONGE CAKE FOR ZUCCOTTO

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Butter the bottom and sides of an 11-by-17-inch rimmed baking sheet and a 9-inch-diameter round cake pan. Line the bottom of each pan with parchment paper, and butter again. Flour the pans, and set aside. In a small bowl, sift together the flour and cornstarch; set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg yolks, vanilla, and 3/4 cup sugar on high until thick and pale, about 3 minutes. Transfer egg-yolk mixture to a large bowl. Wash and dry the mixer bowl and the whisk attachment.
• Combine the egg whites and salt in the mixer bowl, and beat on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 1 1/2 minutes. With the mixer running, slowly add the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar. Continue beating until stiff and glossy, about 1 minute.
• Fold the egg-white mixture into the egg-yolk mixture. In three additions, fold the reserved flour mixture into the egg mixture. Transfer two-thirds of the batter to the baking sheet, and smooth the top with an offset spatula. Transfer remaining batter to the round cake pan; smooth the top with the spatula. Bake until light golden brown and a cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Transfer the pans to wire racks to cool; turn out the cakes, remove the parchment paper, and wrap in plastic wrap until ready to use.

VANILLA SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Prep oven and pans. Preheat the oven to 350F/175C, with a rack in the middle. Grease and flour two 8-inch round cake pans. *see note about cake pans below
• Make the cakes: Sift the cake flour, baking powder, and salt together in a medium bowl. In a container with a spout (I used my 2-cup liquid measuring cup) whisk together the oil, milk, and vanilla.
• Heat sugar and eggs. In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (or in a large heatproof bowl, using a hand mixer) beat the eggs and sugar to combine. Set the bowl over a medium saucepan of barely simmering water (with the bowl not touching the water) and heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture registers 105F/41 C on an instant read thermometer.
• Beat sugar and eggs. Remove the bowl from the saucepan and whip the mixture on high speed until pale and thick, 5 to 6 minutes. Reduce the speed to medium and beat for 2 to 3 minutes more (this will help stabilize the foam).
• Add flour. Sprinkle about one quarter of the flour mixture over the egg mixture and mix on low speed just until incorporated. Add the remaining flour mixture in to 2 to 3 additions, mixing just until incorporated into the batter. Gradually drizzle the milk mixture into the batter, mixing just until incorporated.
• Bake cakes. Divide the batter between the prepared pans (about 730 grams per pan). Bake the cakes until the centers spring back when touched, 45 to 55 minutes. Cool in the pans for 15 minutes, then invert onto a wire rack to cool completely. I split the layers into two and frosted with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. But you can really use any type of buttercream you want. If you use both pans, it makes a tall cake, You could also cut each cake into two layers, and make two smaller cakes (or freeze one for later!)
• Place cold water in small bowl and sprinkle gelatin over it. Let sit for 5 minutes. While it's sitting, place heavy cream, powdered sugar, and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment or in a mixing bowl if using an electric beater. Once gelatin is set, place bowl in microwave and heat until gelatin turns to liquid, about 10 seconds.
• Turn mixer on to start beating cream. Let it run for about 1 minute and then with the mixer on high, very slowly pour the melted gelatin in, in a small steady stream.
• Continue beating cream until you reach medium-stiff peaks. Spread or pipe whipped cream as desired. Top with fresh sliced strawberries

BASIC VANILLA SPONGE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas mark 4.
• Grease and line your cake tin. To do this, use wax paper to spread butter or margarine around all the areas your batter will touch whilst cooking. Coat the greased areas in a fine layer of flour and tap tin to remove excess. Lay a single strip of wax paper along the bottom of the tin and up each side to form "handles" which you will need later.
• Cream butter and caster sugar until light in colour and fluffy. I suggest you use an electric whisk to add more air into your batter.
• Add the eggs one at a time followed by the milk and vanilla essence. Whisk until thoroughly combined.
• Sift the flour and baking powder from the top of the bowl to add air and fold in gradually in with a metal spoon or silicone spatula.
• Pour mixture into your prepared cake tin and tap filled tin onto work surface several times to remove air bubbles and smooth the batter.
• Put into the oven for 30 minutes or until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Whilst it's cooking, you can wash up!
• Once cooked, lay on the work surface for 10 minutes before turning out using your handles and leaving to cool if desired. If you want, you can cover your cake in a frosting or fondant or dust it in icing sugar and serve generously with tea.

ZUCCOTTO

Steps:

• Cut cake in slices 1 cm (1/2") thick, cut each slice on the diagonal, making two triangular sections - this is so it will fit into 5 cup round based pudding basin.
• Combine brandy and Maraschino; carefully brush one side of each section of cake with this mixture.
• Place sections of cake unbrushed side against sides of tin, against the inside of.
• pudding bowl which as been lined with a layer of damp muslin; make sure the narrowest end of cake is on the bottom.
• Repeat process until the inside of the bowl is completely lined with cake; alternate crust and non-crust sides of cake to give striped effect; fill the gaps with pieces of moistened cake; trim edges of cake so they are level with top of basin; the left over cake will cover top when filled.
• Place almonds on oven tray, bake in moderate oven 5 minutes or until pale brown; remove from oven, cool.
• Chop almonds and hazelnuts roughly; chop 30g (1oz) chocolate, put aside; melt remaining chocolate in top of double saucepan over hot water.
• Whip together cream and sifted icing sugar until firms peaks form; fold nuts into mixture, divide mixture in half, fold chopped chocolate through one half and melted chocolate through the other.
• Spoon white cream mixture evenly over the entire cake surface, leaving a cavity in the centre of the bowl; spoon chocolate mixture into cavity.
• Moisten remaining cake with left over liqueur, arrange on top to cover surface completely; cover bowl and refrigerate overnight.
• Turn out carefully onto serving plate; if desired, dust top with combined sifted icing sugar and cocoa about one teaspoon of each.