Sponge Cake! It goes perfectly with all of those big, juicy strawberries I just picked and I just happened to have all of the ingredients hanging around in my cupboards. What I didn’t realize was the degree of difficulty in making one. Or maybe it’s not difficult and I just need more practice.
I started by setting up my ingredients. I always find it easier to pre-measure and have them ready before I get started. It tends to make clean up a bit easier as well.
The first part of the process, which I wasn’t expecting, was to separate the egg yolks from the whites and beat them individually. First the yolks.
Then the whites, which also needed a bit of cream of tartar during the beating process. This is where I may have made a little mistake. I was suppose to add the COT after the egg whites were foamy but the Sponge Cake recipe didn’t say HOW foamy and I think I put it in there premature.
Once all of the ingredients were gently folded I ended up with a fluffy, light and foamy batter. I’m not sure if it was suppose to be that consistency but as it was baking everything appeared to be correct. The problem that showed up after the cake cooled was the bottom layer was more like a heavy gel while the top was stiff and spongy.
The really fun part started the night before when I decided to make edible dessert cups. This all started with two large glass bowls with melted almond and chocolate bark, along with air filled water balloons. Again, this was completely new to me and very much a learning experience. And because I love ya’ll enough to help you avoid a messy kitchen, I’m going to share with you a very important tip.
When dipping the balloons in the chocolate it’s best to wait until the chocolate has almost reached room temperature. Do NOT dip while the chocolate is hot. I repeat, not while it’s hot!
Why? Evidently the heat makes the balloons expand and burst just as you place them on the wax paper, leaving you with a splattered chocolate mess all over yourself and your kitchen. See? I did this about 6 times before I got the hint.
Once I took my own advice and let the chocolate and almond bark cool down a bit, the balloons dipped beautifully. All you need to do next is leave them on the wax paper overnight in a cool room.
When you are ready to use the cups, just pinch the tip of the balloon and prick a small hole in it to release the air and toss the balloon in the garbage.
The sponge cake combined with my fresh strawberries made into a sweet strawberry sauce topped with whipped cream and a few dipped strawberries made an absolutely delicious treat!
Recipes used:
Michelle S says
May 27, 2010 at 3:32 pmAfter making strawberry shortcakes this passed weekend & buying all the stuff from the store, I’ve been looking for a good spongecake recipe. I’m totally going to have to try your recipe. It looks delish!
angie says
May 27, 2010 at 4:56 pmthis sounds so delicious and summer like
Firefly says
May 27, 2010 at 7:03 pmCat, can I come over like NOW?!? That looks soooooo good and cool!
Tamara B. says
May 27, 2010 at 10:29 pmOMG you are killing me with your delicious recipes! Your hubby and children will never leave with your cooking and baking kiddo! I am stealing this recipe, thank-you for posting this!
kristin says
May 27, 2010 at 10:46 pmThose look divine!!!
Emilie says
May 28, 2010 at 8:53 amCat, that turned out wonderful! Dang! You are kicking in my sweet tooth!
(And I’m still jealous of your lawn. You can tell Jon that!)
Eve says
May 28, 2010 at 9:25 amThat looks so goo! Yum! I love strawberries. so I think I will be trying this!
Jennifer @ J. Leigh Designz says
May 28, 2010 at 9:26 amYum, you make me want to bake something!
Amy @ Marvelous Mommy says
May 28, 2010 at 11:11 amThat is sooo cool! It looks yummy!
Linda @ My Trendy Tykes says
May 28, 2010 at 12:44 pmOh My Word!
Strawberries have been on sale around here too. I will have to try something yummy like this.
Thanks for sharing : )
Sunnie says
May 28, 2010 at 4:52 pmIt looks great, I ll have to try the chocolate bowls soon. And dang, those strawberries look huge!
Dawnette Thomas says
May 29, 2010 at 1:19 amMy teenage daughter and I are going to try the dessert cups this weekend. Thanks for such a wonderful idea.
LAMusing says
May 29, 2010 at 1:55 amWOW – they are amazing! Bravo! I’ve bookmarked this page so I can try it myself when I have the ingredients!
Courtney says
May 29, 2010 at 10:39 amOh yum!! I love strawberries and love the balloon cups!
Night Owl Mama says
May 30, 2010 at 12:56 amThose look and sounds absolutely tasty Wow! Great pics’
Nicole-Lynn says
May 30, 2010 at 11:36 pmYum! This sounds so good! Thanks for sharing!
Lori says
May 31, 2010 at 12:06 pmThat has to be one of the coolest ideas I’ve seen! So impressive Cat! It looks delish and makes for a beautiful presentation. I *might* try this one day…….maybe…..
Shawna OBrien says
May 31, 2010 at 10:44 pmYour Strawberry Sponge Cake with the Edible Dessert Cups looks delicious and beautiful. I definitely will be attempting to make these in the near future!
Cindi says
June 1, 2010 at 8:32 pmI have made sponge cake before; but these edible dessert look fabulous and I’m sure
taste delicious. Your presentation on the tray is lovely!
Thanks, Cindi
Ria Clarke says
June 1, 2010 at 10:29 pmThat’s very creative and looks delicious too!
Kimberly says
June 1, 2010 at 11:48 pmOmg, that is suck a neat idea on how to do the bowls! I am so going to have to try that, it all looks so good!
susan says
June 2, 2010 at 2:52 amA perfect compliment to fresh summer strawberries!
Anne says
June 2, 2010 at 7:03 amWow I love the idea of the edible dessert bowls, I am going to try that.
Karen Propes says
June 2, 2010 at 2:39 pmI read this yesterday and I am getting ready to start my attempt in a few. I’m so excited you make it look so easy!
ncjeepster@aol.com
Chelle says
June 2, 2010 at 3:09 pmOmg! That looks SO yummy!! I’ll definitely have to try this recipe out.
And I lol’d about the balloons! Haha! Totally something I would have done!
Norma says
June 2, 2010 at 7:50 pmJust bought some strawberries today. Maybe I can talk my daughter into making this.
Eileen says
June 3, 2010 at 9:53 amWOW…that is VERY impressive! I will have to try the edible bowls! My daughter wants to have a CHOCOLATE birthday party and this will be amazing…with strawberries still in season then! thanks for such a great idea!
Deb Anderson says
June 5, 2010 at 12:11 pmWow!! I love your balloon idea for making the edible cups. I’ve got to remember that! Cool!!
carrielarry says
June 5, 2010 at 9:12 pmthat looks irresistible!!
Stacy says
June 6, 2010 at 11:52 amThose chocolate dessert cups look so fun. I can think of so many things to put in them. Thanks for sharing!
Carol says
June 6, 2010 at 3:49 pmYou did a wonderful job
Laurie says
June 7, 2010 at 1:24 pmYummo. I just went strawberry picking myself and made up about 16 jars of jam. I will be back out to the fields soon to freeze some for occasions like this. You did a wonderful job!
chantal cooper says
June 8, 2010 at 6:46 amOMG this looks SOOOOO good! YUMMY!
Weekend Cowgirl says
June 9, 2010 at 5:35 pmI love sponge cake and this looks like a good recipe! Thanks
lovelyritaann says
June 9, 2010 at 5:48 pmThis post makes me excited and nervous lol I think I might try those edible cups. We’ll see. They look really great!
Ladytink_534 says
June 9, 2010 at 7:29 pmOh crafty, beautiful, and yummy looking too!
Shaun says
June 9, 2010 at 10:14 pmI originally chose this post just to have a non-giveaway post to comment on, but these look really neat (and the picture accompanying the splatter priceless :). I’m going to save this page and hopefully make this.
Karen P says
June 11, 2010 at 1:18 amThis looks like a lot of work but must be totally worth it. They look beautiful. I would use these for a dinner party.
R Hicks says
June 15, 2010 at 4:48 pmThese look very appetizing and not too difficult. Will have to try it out
Stefanie says
June 16, 2010 at 12:00 amOH MY YUM! Those look FANTASTIC!!! I’m soo going to try this! My kids and hubby would FLIP! Thanks for this…my diet is never going to work! lmao (<— I wish!) 😉
Victoria says
June 16, 2010 at 4:12 pmi have NEVER heard of the balloon /chocolate trick! AMAZING!
Donna B. says
June 18, 2010 at 7:00 amI don’t like strawberries (thanks Mom for that!) but I could adapt this to other berries. Plus I LOVE the chocolate bowls! Thanks for posting 🙂
Emilie @ Oh My Sugar High says
July 31, 2010 at 1:08 pmIt is amazing how much those chocolate bowls add to the look. I am imagining all kind of yummy things inside like homemade vanilla custard, mousse or even just ice cream with hot fudge and berries. Mmmmm…
vantalee says
August 2, 2010 at 5:45 pmI really love this recipe! The balloon trick is a great idea! I’m going to try this sometime….
Michelle says
August 9, 2010 at 9:33 amWOW! Those bowls came out great!! Awesome work. A little ambitious for me. I’d probably make a huge mess.
Yasmine says
August 10, 2010 at 12:33 pmYour photos are beautiful-seriously I want to lick the screen!
I love the dessert cup balloon idea- I will be doing that for dessert when my inlaws come for dinner in the next week or so- It looks like fun too. Funny thing is that on Saturday, I was looking at chocolate dessert cups at the market beside my house and its like $10.99 for 8 cups and to make enough I would have to spend over 30 bucks on the cups. pshh so I thought of melting chocolate and forming them onto cupcake liners and once they cooled I would peel the liner off- but the balloons look much easier! Thanks for the idea 🙂