Lemon Sponge Cake

Hungry for more? This recipes was featured in a podcast episode!

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Decorate your cake before you bake it by dying the batter and piping it onto the bottom of your pans in the image you desire. As you can see, big, blocked images work better than words but this sponge cake recipe is a winner!

Prep Time: 30 min

Cook time: 25-30 min

Yield: 2-layer, 9-inch cake

Ingredients

Cake

• 6 eggs

• zest of 1 lemon

• juice of 1 lemon

• juice of 1 orange

• 1 tsp vanilla

• 1 cup granulated sugar

• 1 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar

Filling

• 4 oz cream cheese

• 1/4 cup butter

• 1 1/2 cup Icing sugar

• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Directions

1. Separate the egg yolks and whites into separate bowls. Set aside the whites for later & begin with the bowl of yolks. Beat the yolks using a whisk until thick and lemon coloured, about 5 min.

2. Measure out the lemon juice and orange juice in a measuring cup to 1/2 cup of liquid. If you have less than that in juice top it up using water.

3. Mix in the the juice, lemon zest and vanilla to the beaten egg yolks.

4. Slowly add the 1-cup of granulated sugar to the egg yolk mixture while beating with a whisk to fully dissolve the sugar. Continue to whisk until all the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is thick and frothy.

5. Gently stir in a quarter-cup of flour to the egg mixture, using the whisk, until no flour remains. Continue to add flour in quarter-cup portions in the same way. Once all the flour has been added set this bowl aside.

6. To the bowl with the egg whites, add the cream of tartar, and beat using the whisk attachment on a mixer. Start at a low speed and gradually increase the speed as the whites become bubbly and frothy.

7. When soft peaks begin to form, slowly and gradually add the 1/2-cup of granulated sugar to the whites. Once all the sugar is added, beat on high speed until stiff peaks form.

8. Add about 1 cup of the egg whites to the egg yolk bowl and gently fold to combine. Then add all the batter in the egg yolk bowl to the egg white bowl. Fold until just combined.

9. To make coloured batter, add 1/8 tsp of coloured paste to a small ramekin. Then add a few tablespoons of batter to the ramekin and beat the colour in with a fork until evenly mixed. Transfer to a plastic bag and cut the corner to pipe onto the bottom of a parchment lined springform pan.

10. Once you've piped your desired pattern, place the pan in the freezer for 10 min to set the pattern.

11. Use a large piping bag/plastic bag to pipe half of the batter on top of the pattern.

12. Pour the remaining batter in a second parchment lined springform pan.

13. Bake in a 325F oven with the rack situated at the top half of the oven, for 25-30min or until the cake is set.

14. Remove the cake from the pan immediately after taking the cake out of the oven and peel back the parchment to reveal your beautiful pattern!

15. Let cakes cool on cooling racks.

16. Prepare icing by beating the cream cheese and butter together using a mixer. When combined and smooth add the icing sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until soft and fluffy.

17. Spread the icing between the cake layers.

18. Serve and enjoy.

Zhuzh it up!

• I think this cake is best served fresh on the day it was baked.

• A two-layer, 6-egg, sponge cake recipe is much easier to work with.

• When deciding on images, go for big and bold patterns that fill up most of the cakes surface.

• While working with the coloured batter, keep it in the fridge so it is not too thin when you go to use it to make your patterns.

• Use a springform pan instead of cake pans, it is easier to write with the pan's sides removed.

This amazing recipe was inspired by the Squeaky Mixer's Designed Sponge Cake