Why is There Air?

Weigh the eggs on top of the Thermomix

When my husband is away on business, I generally get bored and start cooking or baking. This is very handy for producing blog posts, but it is very bad for my waistline when I bake cakes. You see, I just have to bake my cake and eat it, too.

This evening, for instance, I made another Thermomix 30-second Carrot Cake but this time I steamed it in the Varoma steamer of my Thermomix rather than baking it in the oven. The result was stunningly moist. The next time I make this Quick Sponge Cake, I will steam it and see how moist this can be, too.

Quick sponge cake
Recipe from “Fast and Easy Cooking: Thermomix TM31 Recipe Book,” included with the purchase of every Thermomix TM31 in the UK.

Cake batter is fast and easy in your Thermomix

This cake is perfect for a cricket tea or a picnic. Eat a large cake on its own, or sandwich 2 smaller ones with jam, butter cream icing, whipped cream and fresh fruit, then dust with icing sugar. The butter cream icing can be either plain or made with coffee or chocolate. Serves 8.

Ingredients
3 large eggs
butter at room temperature caster sugar
self-raising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 ½ tsp baking powder

Bake in a preheated oven

Method

1. Weigh the eggs on the TM lid, note the weight, then crack them into the bowl. Beat a few seconds/Speed 5.
2. Weigh in exactly the same weight of sugar and butter as the weight of the eggs, i.e., if the eggs weigh 180 g, weigh in 180 g of each. Add the vanilla to the TM bowl and mix 10 seconds/Speed 7.
3. Scrape down the sides of the TM bowl with the spatula. Weigh in the “egg weight” of flour and add the baking powder. Mix 1 ½ minutes/Speed 5.
4. Scrape down the sides of the TM bowl with the spatula. Mix a few seconds/Speed 5. Divide the mixture between 2 greased and lined shallow 18 cm round cake tins or use one deep 20 cm round cake tin. Place the TM bowl back on the machine and run 5 seconds/Speed 5 to send the rest of the cake mixture to the sides. Scrape out with the spatula and add to the tin.
5. Bake about 25 minutes for 2 cakes, 35 minutes for one large one or until golden and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean. Bake at 180·C/350·F/gas 4. Aga Ovens: Bake in the Baking Oven for the same timings or bake 20 minutes for 2 cakes, 25 minutes for 1 cake, on the rack on the floor of the Roasting Oven with the cold plain shelf two sets of runners above the top of the tints). Cool 5 minutes in the tins) then turn out on a rack to finish cooling.

Tip: If you like a lighter, drier sponge, insert the Butterfly Whisk before adding the flour in Step 3 and whisk 3 minutes/Speed 5. Then add the flour and continue with the recipe.

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Icing made with the butterfly whisk

I iced this sponge cake with the same orange flavoured cream cheese icing I used on the carrot cake but the recipe quantities are for an English-style iced cake where all the icing is put on the top only. In America we generally ice between the layers, on the top and also on the sides. Icing the sides keeps the moisture in and means your cake will last longer. I apologise but the finished cake here has very thin icing and doesn’t look as good as it tastes. I now triple the recipe for icing and save the little bit left over for something else.

Spin a few seconds to throw the remaining icing to the sides of the bowl

Bon appétit !

Thermomix quick sponge cake with cream cheese icing