“I’ve tried everything” is a phrase often mouthed by those frustrated in adversity. What is startlingly clear to the listener is that, indeed, everything has not been tried. Among the things that have not been tried is the right thing. So it is with me and this sponge cake. I have taken advice from books, the internet and my own experience. Local cowherds look askance when I tell them that I have things sticking to my bottom, so I don’t tell them any more.
This is a cake that I make after I have made meringues. At that point I have egg yolks to spare and this recipe from the Goddess Nigella only calls for yolks of egg, sugar, flour, vanilla, water and milk. I have prepared the cake tins with baking parchment, with butter, with butter and parchment, with butter and flour and I have even tried non stick. The sponge cake laughs from its bottom at non stick or parchment or anything that tries to prevent its adhesion. It’s clear from the pictures that I do not allow the sponge to stay limpet like for long: but still, I am denied the smooth, sponge surface on which to spread ( I hate that fucking word “slather”: add it to moist) oozing layers of home made apricot jam and thick cream. However, I make do.
Any thoughts?
Food, Photography & France 
It’s something to do with the butter on the bottom 😉
I’m going to have to talk to Maria.
You might need a psychic, but there’s no need really, just make sure the butter goes into the cake tin 😉
I’ll keep repeating “Make sure the butter goes into..”, “Make sure the butter goes…”
It is going to the best place, Roger, however it looks.
Like Sidney Carton 🙂
Well it looks amazing! Try spraying olive oil then flouring the tin. Doesn’t seem to burn like butter…Will have to try the recipe and see what happens (but I may use my silicone “tin”). I see we still have the Last Tango in Paris references going on 🙂
I think you have the solution and the olive oil 😉
I think she’s got it…by George, she’s got it..
The olive oil and flour sounds a good bet…it does seem as though butter is the villain.
Maddie makes a perfect sponge cake using a recipe which is simplicty itself – but she does use a VERY old Kenwood mixer to help her. The recipe has you put 4 eggs in that big steel bowl, set the whizzer going and add 8oz sugar and 8oz self raising flour; melt 8oz butter and add it; add vanilla essence to taste. Shove it in two greased tins and stick it in the oven at 190 degrees for around 25 minutes, testing with an old knitting needle at intervals. Usually comes out of the tin a treat.
I have probably just revealed myself to be a culinary pleb.
My problem, Kate, is that they’re are no egg whites in this recipe, or butter. The only butter that I use is for greasing the cake tin, and therein lies the problem. I’m very envious of Maddie’s Kenwood stand mixer, however old.
Ah, yes. No egg whites. I knew that all along; I was just testing you.
Do egg whites makes sponges taste worse?
The best cakes are the ones with sticky bottoms. Maybe the problem’s not the cake, but the tin?
If sticky bottoms are the criterion for the best cakes, mine are indeed high fliers:)
More air! And not the bottom sort! I won a prize for my sponges when i was 12!! Imagine.. c
Again, the problem with this cake is that their are no egg whites! It’s always going to be a thinnish sponge….which still tastes delicious. It’s getting out of the tin that’s the problem. At 12, I won a prize for Latin, but I didn’t know where sponge cakes came from 🙂
Ah, you won a prize for Latin and I won one for my sponge. Hmm. I am not sure what that means. It is difficult to draw a parallel between Latin and Sponge. ah well, I am sure as you say it is delicious, bloody sticky pans, this is why I NEVER make muffins, they always stick.. c
I can only think of Spongiform which has something to do with mad cows!
It looks delicious. And you do seem to have tried every preparation method possible. Maybe you could try moving its position in your oven. Different shelf maybe?
It’s a thought…the oven could be running to hot. It’s a cheap oven, so it’s very likely.
mmm, that looks sooo good!
Unfortunately, it’s all gone 🙂
The recipe is a little different from what we used at baking school this year, so I’m not sure if that’s part of the issue, but what I really can’t wrap my head around is the parchment paper thing. PARCHMENT PAPER ALWAYS WORKS! (And, as we also learned at school this year, sometimes catches on fire.) This issue is going to drive me bonkers. It seems weird to go to the trouble of incorporating air into the eggs, and then fold in milk with the flour. We were told very expressly to sift the flour over the leavened eggs, and then gently (and very quickly) fold in the flour. I feel like the milk might deflate the whole thing and perhaps add to a stickiness issue – though it’s not a lot of liquid, is it? GAH! And who am I to question Nigella? The woman knows her stuff!
With particularly “sticky issues,” you can spray the pan with non-stick spray, line with parchment, and then spray again. I’ve also heard that Wilton’s pan release is a miracle worker, but haven’t tried it. I think I need to try this recipe out. (In the name of science.)
I think there has to be some milk as it would be so thick otherwise. Lots of air gets beaten in with eggs, hot water and sugar…..as it starts to cook it rises very quickly and then deflates over the last 10 minutes. It’s a delicious sponge, but half of it is left on the parchment.
Looks delicious anyway; and in the end, your gut, the appearance is irrelevant. However, if you solve the sticky issue, please let me know, as it might help with my clinging frittata.
I’ll let you know:)
I tried a sponge cake once. Didn’t go so well. I want to try again. It seemed so simple then went so pear shaped. Sigh.
Like all “simple” things, they go wrong so easily.
You’re asking someone who just followed a recipe to the letter, and wound up with one helluva gooey mess all over the counter.
Go ask Nigella. 😉
I can’t believe it! I blame the Kitchen Goddess:)
What about waxed paper? I know some folks frown on it for baking, but I’ve used it to line cake pans with good results.
I’ve never tried it,Michelle. Just as you say, so many books say not to use it. Maybe I’ll give it a try.
Asking for cooking tips from me is like asking a mechanic to perform open-heart surgery. 🙂
On a different note, I didn’t know “slather” could evoke such passion from anyone. There are plenty I know who hate the word “moist,” but you’re the first I’ve heard to speak out against “slather.” Fortunately, there are a variety of better words at our disposal. We all could use a little variety in our lives.
I need to ask that mechanic to get out of my chest:)
See? This is how my bundt pan and the cake it wouldn’t release ended up in the trash and why I so rarely bake. My advice? Find a good patisserie.
Top advice, John, as I expect from you.
I tend to agree with two of the thoughts…the bottom of the pan getting too hot and to try using oil in the pan. As to the “s” word…you were very polite and overlooked my use of it. 🙂
🙂
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Ever since I was small.. my mom taught me to butter the tins, then cut wax paper rounds, pop them in and then butter again.. then flour and bang the flour out. It seems to work unless I miss the tiny crevasses on the edges of the pan… that and I’ve discovered the $$$ W Sonoma Gold pans.. where nothing sticks and baking tends to like to jump right out and land on the flour without ever being asked.. cheeky things.. (had to get “cheeky” in there)xx
I like the idea of the Sonoma Gold pans. I used to do a lot of work for “Taste” Magazine that was run by Williams Sonoma ( I even remember doing a portrait of Chuck Williams when he came over to the UK in the 90’s)
I am with Barbara, butter tin, put in silicone paper (baking parchment), then grease again. I found my cakes sticking on some of the supposedly non-stick silicone moulds until I started to oil them. Hope it works for you! And thanks for the delicious recipe, just made a whole lot of apricot jam…
I’m coming to the conclusion that buttering the tin and the parchment is the answer.Many thanks for passing by.
Will be interested to hear how it turns out!!
I’ll let you know