Vanilla and Pista Sponge Cake with Whipped Cream and White Chocolate Glaze

 

Obsessed with the Woodland bakery blog tv on Youtube, I have been experimenting some of the video host, Gretchen's cake recipes.. Everytime I watch her video, I realise, I am getting more than addicted to cake baking... Also, I awe at her skill of how easily she gets her cake done. I must say that I already tried this Vanilla sponge cake recipe thrice, in may be just 2 weeks. Its so spongy and ressembles just like the one bought from bakery. I stumbled on this recipe on my search for a sponge cake one and decided to alter the flavor by adding Pista essence. The next two times I baked it, I flavoured it Vanilla. I'll be uploading images of the two cakes I tried for second and third time both which was iced in a different way.

 

Ingredients:

 

For the cake:

• Flour-2 cups
• Sugar- 2 cups
• Eggs- 4
• Milk- 1 cup
• Butter- 100 gms
• Baking powder- 2 tsp
• Vanilla essence- 1 tsp
• Pista essence- 1 tsp
• Salt a pinch

For the Icing:

• Whipping cream (35% fat) - 3 cups
• Icing sugar/ powdered sugar- 1/4 cup
• Vanilla essence- 1 tsp

For white chocolate glaze:

• Whipping cream- 125 ml
• White chocolate-150 gms
• Butter- 1 tbsp

Method:

For the cake:

 

• Heat milk and butter together in a microwave or a pan and keep aside to cool to room temperature.
• Preheat oven to 180 C.
• Sift flour, salt, baking powder and keep aside.
• Grease a baking tin only from the bottom and line with butter paper.
• Place a pot with water 1" deep and let it simmer.
• Place a heat proof bowl over the pot so that it does not touch the water.
• Add eggs and sugar in the bowling and beat constantly with a whisk.
• Once the sugar is dissolved touch the mixture and it should be slightly warm.
• Off the flame and beat the egg-sugar mixture with electric beater till it becomes thick and pale. ( When you lift the beater from the mixture and draw an 8 pattern, it should remain visible for few seconds before it disappears).
• Now add vanilla and pista essence.
• Add green food colour.
• Fold in the flour in three batches alternating with 2 batches of milk-butter mixture.
• Mix till well incorporated. Do not over mix.
• Transfer to two 8, 7 or 6 inch diameter round cake tin.
• Bake for 30 minutes or till the skewer inserted in the center comes out clean.
• Cool the cake completely before assembling.

For the icing:

• Pour whipping cream into a clean, dry bowl and place it in the freezer for about one hour with the whisk attatchement of beater.
• Whip to soft peaks.
• Add essence and powdered sugar.
• Beat till stiff peaks. Do not over beat. Cream will turn into butter.
• Reserve half cup of whipped cream for piping border.
• Keep the whipped cream in the fridge until ready to assemble.
• Chop the white chocolate bar to small chunks and place in a bowl along with butter.
• Heat cream on medium heat in a pan.
• Once bubble start appearing on sides, off the flame. 
• Pour the cream over the chocolate and let it sit for a minute before you start mixing.
• Mix till no lumps remain.
• Keep aside and let cool for a while

Assembling:

Slice, each layer of cake to two horizontal layers. TotaI you you get 4 layers. I used only 2 layers.

Over each layer, spread some whipped cream.

Place the next layer. Repeat till all the layers are done.

Spread the remaining cream to the top and sides.

Smooth evenly.

Pour white chocolate ganache over the top and let it dribble down the sides.

Now pipe borders on the top and bottom of cake.

Serve and enjoy...

Here are some of the cakes I tried at home with same recipe of sponge cake, but frosted in different ways.