Sponge cakes are easy to whip up and fill with cream and berries for an impressive, delicious dessert. They are basically a blank canvas that you can fill with mousse, Nutella, or syrup for added flavor and decorated with whipped cream or buttercream. You could even use these cakes as a base for Trifle.

Although these cakes are light as a feather, they definitely benefit from a light soaking with some liqueur, a smear of fruit syrup, or even a layer of jam. Strawberry syrup is easy to make and spread between the layers. If you don’t anticipate that the cake will be eaten in one day, serve the slices with a side of whipped cream and fresh fruit rather than decorating the entire cake with whipped cream.

For the frosting, I used a combination of whipped cream, mascarpone cheese, and sugar.

INGREDIENTS

For the cake

6 large eggs, room temperature

1 cup (210g) granulated sugar

1 cup (130g) all-purpose flour

½ tsp baking powder

For the strawberry syrup

1 cup water

1 cup granulated sugar

2 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered

For the frosting 

2 cups heavy cream

1 8oz container Mascarpone cheese

⅕ cup superfine sugar

PREPARATION

Line the bottom of two 9” cake pans with parchment paper.

Heat the oven in the Convection Bake mode to 325℉/162℃

Beat the eggs in an electric stand mixer fitted with a whisk on high speed for one minute.

With the motor running, gradually add the sugar and continue beating for 8 - 10 minutes until the mixture is thick and fluffy. To determine if the eggs are at the right stage, make a figure 8 with the whisk, and if it sinks, keep beating for a minute or two longer. If it doesn’t sink, then continue.

Whisk together the flour and baking powder, then gently sift into the egg mixture one-third at a time, folding the flour in with a spatula until it is just incorporated. Be sure to scrape from the bottom to disperse the flour evenly, taking care not to overmix, which will cause the batter to deflate.

Divide the batter evenly between the two pans and bake for approximately 25 minutes until golden. Allow the pans to rest for about 10 minutes, then run an offset spatula around the edge to loosen and turn onto a cooling rack. Cool the cakes in draft free area of the kitchen.

Once cooled, you can decorate the cakes or wrap them in film and store them outside of the refrigerator until you are ready to decorate them.

For the Strawberry Syrup

Combine the water and sugar in a medium-sized saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Stir in the strawberries, bring to a boil, and simmer for about 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for another 10 minutes until thickened. Once cooled, you can stir in a few tablespoons of liquor for added flavor.

The syrup can be strained or used with the fruit.

For the Frosting

Beat the Mascarpone cheese and sugar on medium speed to combine. Pour in the whipping cream and beat until stiff peaks form. The frosting can be used between the layers and spread over the cake.

Serves 8