Hello, darlings!
Miss Windsor presents Fannie Farmer’s GENUINE Sponge Cake – a flavour of the “old school”, well, in this case, The Boston Cooking-School, Massachusetts, USA!
Miss Fannie Merritt Farmer is an American culinary goddess from a bygone era, known as an advocate of “scientific” cookery and household management. Thus, following her graduation in 1889 from The Boston Cooking-School, she served as assistant director and teacher; becoming school principal during the 1890s.
Around such time, Fannie re-wrote Mary J. Lincoln’s book, The Boston Cooking-School Cook Book, and luckily Miss Windsor just so happens to own a 1909 copy of her incredible masterpiece, where she stumbled upon this rather spiffing recipe.
Fannie’s cake is prepared with many eggs, little flour, sugar, lemon juice, and without the aid of a raising agent, “But, what makes a sponge cake rise?” you utter! Well, according to Fannie’s easy to comprehend, scientific explanation, “Is made light by the quantity of air beaten into both yolks and whites of eggs, and the expansion of that air in baking!” – thank you, dear Fannie.
Baked in a slow oven using two vintage sandwich tins, although Fannie suggests baking her genuine sponge cake in an angel cake pan or a deep narrow pan. Nevertheless, the sponge turned out just perfect – light, fluffy and pillowy soft.
Sandwiched together with a glossy slather of Tiptree Strawberry Conserve (by Wilkin & Sons Ltd), sliced fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and crowned with more sliced strawberries, then a light dusting of icing sugar – voila!
I must divulge, Fannie’s original recipe required some kind of sweet lubrication (Oh, I say!) You see, darlings, one found it exceedingly spongey, a bit too light, to be frank, that made one choke a little – so naturally, Miss Windsor sought to find a remedy!
Luckily, one stumbled upon Fannie’s recipe for Washington Pie, and so immediately followed suit and added a layer of strawberry conserve to Fannie’s sponge cake.
Darlings, I do hope you’ve noticed my arty recipe collaboration with the frightfully talented Cathy’s Art Palace (Twitter: @CathysArtPalace) who joined creative forces with Miss Windsor and magically turned one of her photographs into a work of art!
If you fancy recreating another Fannie Farmer recipe, then why not try:
Miss Windsor’s Blackberry & Elderberry American Breakfast Muffins!
Enjoy!
Miss Windsor x
Fannie Farmer’s GENUINE Sponge Cake!
Ingredients
- 6 egg yolks
- 6 egg whites
- zest of 1 lemon
- 1 tbsp of lemon juice
- 180 g (1 cup) caster sugar
- 120 g (1 cup) plain flour / all-purpose flour (sieved 3 or 4 times)
- strawberry jam or conserve
- sliced fresh strawberries (approx. one punnet)
- whipped cream
- a light dusting of icing sugar!
Instructions
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Before you proceed, ‘squeaky clean’ hands, please!
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Preheat oven: 150 *C / 130*C Fan / 300 F / gas mark 2.
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Grease each sandwich tin with butter and line the bottom with greaseproof paper. Then dust the greased sides with flour and shake off any excess.
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Using a Dover egg-beater, or a similar implement: beat yolks until pale.
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Gradually add the sugar and continue beating.
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Now, add lemon juice and zest, then rest the bowl to one side.
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Darlings, if you fancy a challenge! then grab your Dover egg-beater and whisk ‘like the clappers’ – until egg whites are beaten stiff n’ dry! Or alternatively, please do succumb to the aid of modern technology – namely an electric hand-whisk!
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Partially mix stiffly beaten egg whites with the yolks.
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Then carefully cut and fold the sieved flour into the egg mixture.
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Divide mixture between tins, and place on the middle shelf in oven.
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Bake for approximately 40 minutes – until golden brown, has shrunk from the sides, and a skewer comes out clean.
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When cool slather one sponge cake with strawberry jam or conserve, followed by sliced fresh strawberries, and a thick coat of whipped cream, then carefully sandwich together – voila!
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To finish: decorate the with sliced fresh strawberries and a light dusting of icing sugar.
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Present your culinary masterpiece on a pretty plate of your choice. Miss Windsor opted for a vintage bone china vessel by Aynsley – How spiffing!
Recipe Notes
Darlings, please enjoy a jolly good munch on Fannie’s pie – Oh, I say!