Description
This Genoise Sponge Cake features a soft and delicate texture, layered with a lightly sweetened whipped raspberry cream and topped with bursting fresh raspberries; it’s a simple, but pretty and elegant, dessert that balances texture and flavour to perfection.
Ingredients
Units
Scale
For the Sponge Cake Batter
- 150 g cake flour
- 100 g caster sugar
- 5 eggs
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
- 50 g unsalted butter, melted and cooled
- 20 g milk
For the Filling
- 2 tbsp raspberry conserve
- 300 ml double cream
- 150 g fresh raspberries
- 30 g icing sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- A pinch of salt
For the Decoration
- 100 g fresh raspberries
- Icing sugar for dusting
- Mint leaves
Instructions
Preparation
- Preheat your oven to 160°C (325°F). Grease and line the bottom of a 7-inch baking pan with a loose bottom, leaving the sides ungreased.
- Sift the flour and salt onto a piece of parchment (suggested for easy handling of dry ingredients).
- Melt the butter, mix in milk and vanilla extract. Allow to cool and set aside.
Make the Genoise Sponge
- In a mixing bowl, combine eggs and sugar. Whisk briefly until combined. Place over a saucepan of simmering water and whisk until the mixture is warm to the touch and the sugar is fully dissolved.
- Remove from heat and pour into the mixing bowl of a stand mixer with a whisk attachment. Whisk on high speed until pale, thick, and has tripled in volume (reaches ribbon stage). It takes around 10 – 12 minutes.
- Once it reaches the ribbon stage, whisk on low speed for about 1 – 2 minutes to smooth out the mixture and reduce air bubbles.
- Sift in the dry ingredient mix in a few batches. Gently fold with a whisk until just combined. Continue to sift and fold in the remaining dry ingredients.
- Scoop a small amount of the yolk mixture into the cooled melted butter mixture. Give it a good stir.
- Drizzle it back to the yolk batter. Fold gently until well incorporated, trying not to deflate the batter.
- Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake immediately for 40 – 45 minutes, or until golden and a skewer inserted comes out clean.
- Once the cake is out of the oven, let it sit in the baking pan for around 5 minutes. Run a palette knife around the edges of the pan and unmold the cake. Peel off the parchment paper and let it cool completely on a wire rack.
- Once cooled, cut the cake into 2 layers, ideally using a cake leveller.
Make the Raspberry Cream
- In a small bowl, mix icing sugar with a pinch of salt.
- Pour chilled double cream and vanilla extract into a large chilled mixing bowl. Add the icing sugar mixture and whisk on medium speed until soft peaks form.
- Add the fresh raspberries and continue mixing on medium speed until stiff peaks form. The raspberries will break into small pieces, creating a creamy mixture with a still visible fruit context (i.e. not completely mashed and blended).
Assemble the Cake
- Place the bottom layer of the sponge on a serving plate.
- Spread the raspberry conserve over the layer. Add the raspberry whipped cream evenly over the layer.
- Place the second sponge layer on top and cover the cake with a generous amount of cream.
- Smooth the surface then chill the cake for around 30 minutes to set.
- Pipe rosettes on top and garnish with fresh raspberries and mint leaves.
- Finally, dust lightly with icing sugar (optional).
Chill and Serve
- Cover the cake and refrigerate until ready to serve.
- Enjoy chilled for the best texture and flavour.
Notes
- Be sure to check out my video tutorial to see how easy this is to make.
- Feel free to decorate the cake as you desire – any way you choose, it will look pretty in pink.
- Use a cake leveller or serrated knife to cut even layers.
- If your sponge is tall, stack chopping boards to raise the height for easier slicing with a leveller.
- For extra stability, chill the whipped cream slightly before assembling.