The easiest sponge cake base. The simplest whipped cream filling, barely sweetened. The perfect lightly roasted blueberry flavouring, oozing purple juice. Need I say more?
Why is sponge cake called a sponge?
Sponge cake, as the name cleverly suggests, is supposed to soak up the filling/syrup/drizzle/jam/cream (though it will struggle with the last).
Funny then how very non-absorbent a lot of sponges are, especially the English classics courtesy of Mary or Delia.
What is the proper type of sponge cake then?
Another un-sponge-like peculiarity of the English sponge in my view is that it has butter in it.
Proper, continental sponge mix is airy eggs with a puff of flour stirred into them.
Also, a genoise or viennoise is an adult affair involving separating eggs or at least beating them into quintuple the volume over a bain-marie.
I used to belligerently protest and refuse to follow any Delia’s ‘sponge’ recipes but I’m mellowing down these days and don’t ferociously argue any more. They want to put butter in, beat it all together in one bowl and call it a sponge – be it. Whatever - as long as it tastes good.
The filling makes the dessert
Because all that matters is what the sponge layers are filled with. How about lightly roasted blueberries oozing purple sweetness into the base? My only concern was that the top would remain dry as a history handbook.
But you know what, it doesn’t matter. If there is a thick and attractive enough layer of filling in the middle, a slice of cake like that will be delicious from top to bottom. Unless you’re seriously weird and eat the top layer first, on its own.
How to make easy sponge batter
Making the batter is fabulously easy: as long as the butter has been sitting around on the worktop and softened, all the ingredients are beaten together until smooth. You don’t even need an electric mixer for it, but a spatula or a wooden spoon.
The cake bakes until it’s spongy (ha!) and springs up when pressed with a finger. I never bake it in two separate tins because if cooled and sliced, the sponge absorbs the filling’s flavour much better, like – you guessed – a sponge.
Blueberry and cream filling
You can happily use fresh, raw blueberries and fold them into whipped cream but if lightly roasted, they become wonderfully oozy, dribbling purple juice and flavour through whipped cream.
All they need is ten minutes in a hot oven, with only a sprinkling of sugar. If you have a glut of blueberries, I strongly advise to roast more and store in a bowl in the fridge, for a delightful porridge, yoghurt or ice cream topping.
The cream should be whipped lightly, with barely a spoonful of sugar and some vanilla essence, which makes it a classic Chantilly.
And my recommended assembling is: bottom layer – blueberries – cream – top layer dusted with icing sugar. And if you fancy, you can turn the whole construction over so the filling seeps through the other sponge layer (disclaimer: I’ve not tried, and I’m not entirely serious about it).
More sponge cake recipes
Victorian Savoy cake, or biscuit de savoie, is the lightest butterless sponge cake. Fuller taste than angel food, more forgiving than genoise and far more sophisticated than Victoria sponge.
Genoise sponge cake with mascarpone and blueberry filling. The celebration gateau that is all about class, simplicity and sophistication. No wonder - genoise is after all the classic sponge recipe of the French patisserie.
Matcha (green tea) sponge cake with lemon and bay leaf scented whipped cream frosting. It’s a beautiful dessert, beautifully simple to make (but nobody will believe you how easy it is).
More blueberry dessert recipes
Frozen yogurt recipe, no ice cream maker. Easy blueberry frozen yoghurt without sugar, made in a small blender. The recipe is with frozen blueberries and the secret to good frozen homemade yoghurt is the addition of double cream.
Blueberry parfait recipe for a dessert or breakfast dish, delicious at any time of day. This blueberry parfait is made with roasted blueberries and strained yoghurt.
My best and easiest recipe for blueberry muffins, with buttermilk and light brown sugar are lovely for breakfast or brunch - perhaps not as healthy as half a grapefruit, but very enjoyable.