Hi there! If you’re returning, THANK YOU for visiting again and if you’re new, WELCOME π I love to make FUN AND UNIQUE TREATS, so today I’m sharing a cool new recipe for SOFT AND FLUFFY JAPANESE SPONGE CAKESπ°
First off, IF YOU’VE NEVER TRIED ASIAN CAKES AND DESSERTS, YOU MUST PUT THEM ON YOUR LIST! Why? Because they are DIFFERENT IN SOME UNUSUAL AND REALLY GOOD WAYS:
- LESS SWEET – the flavor is light, enjoyable, and you feel like you’re eating a cloud sometimes
- UNIQUE FLAVORS – they use ingredients that are just now starting to really be noticed and liked. IN THIS RECIPE I USE “UBE” extract = from a purple yam that imparts a sweet potato-like flavor and lovely purple color to Asian foods, especially desserts!
- MAKES YOU VIEW DESSERT DIFFERENTLY – because there is a lot less sugar, you may be able to ENJOY DESSERT MORE
TO WATCH STEP-BY-STEP HOW TO MAKE THESE EASY DESSERTS, PLEASE CATCH MY YOUTUBE VIDEO, called FLUFFY JAPANESE SPONGE CAKE, LIKE FILIPINO MAMON:
Here’s a little peek on how they turn out:
They are EASY TO MAKE because they only require a handful of ingredients. THE KEY TO MAKING THEM SO LIGHT AND FLUFFY IS WHIPPING UP THE EGG WHITES TO A SOFT PEAK MERINGUE.
NEVER MADE A MERINGUE BEFORE? It’s much easier than you think. THIS ONE DOES NOT REQUIRE HEATING UP HOT SUGAR SYRUP on the stove. It simply requires you to separate egg yolks from their whites, and whip up the egg whites along with regular granulated sugar. THIS IS A GREAT INTRO TO MERINGUE:
Now without further ado, here is the RECIPE FOR VANILLA AND UBE SPONGE CAKES:
Ingredients
- *RECIPE ADAPTED FROM SUCCULENT BITE on Instagram:
- *PLEASE READ ALL RECIPE AND IMPORTANT NOTES for a successful bake
- *Makes 2 Vanilla and 2 Ube individual portioned cakes, about 4"x5" each
- TO MAKE VANILLA SPONGE CAKES:
- 1/2 cup (1 stick or 113g) unsalted butter
- 1/2 cup (122g) whole milk
- 6 large eggs (300g), VERY CAREFULLY separate the yolks from whites
- 1 Tbsp vanilla
- 1/2 cup (100g) granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup SIFTED cake flour (DON'T HAVE ANY? SUBSTITUTE WITH ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR + CORNSTARCH, AS IN NOTES BELOW)
- TO MAKE THE UBE SPONGE CAKES:
- Use the SAME INGREDIENTS AS FOR THE VANILLA ONES, but also use 1 1/4 tsp UBE EXTRACT for color and flavor.
- OPTIONAL TOPPINGS: chocolate chips to melt and drizzle, strawberry jam, whipped cream, condensed milk.
- SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT:
- Best with a stand mixer and whisk attachment - CLEANED WITH VINEGAR OR LEMON JUICE TO REMOVE ANY RESIDUAL GREASE
- Two 9"x5" loaf pans (or close in size)
- Larger deep pan to create a BAIN MARIE (a pan with water in it to place the baking pan in)
- Parchment to line the pans
- Non-stick baking spray
- Piping bags or Ziploc bag to put the melted chocolate or condensed milk in order to drizzle onto the cakes.
Instructions
- TO MAKE VANILLA SPONGE CAKES:Preheat your oven to 300Β°F.
- Put the butter and milk into a saucepan and cook over medium heat, gently melting them until well combined. (DO NOT BOIL). Transfer to a bowl to cool down slightly on the counter.
- ***In a separate large bowl, whisk the egg yolks only with the milk and butter mixture, then whisk in the vanilla. (THIS IS WHERE YOU ADD UBE EXTRACT IF DESIRED). Set aside.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment (or use a large bowl and a hand mixer) place the egg whites only. Whisk from low to high until eggs are foamy and frothy. Then VERY SLOWLY pour in the granulated sugar, like a slow waterfall, and continue to whisk on high until SOFT PEAKS FORM. (See notes below)
- FOLD BOTH MIXTURES TOGETHER: Combine the egg yolk mixture and the egg white meringue together until fully incorporated. I use a spatula.
- Add in the SIFTED cake flour and mix until just fully incorporated. Make sure to scrape the bottom of the bowl to get any missed flour.
- Prepare your large, deep BAIN MARIE PAN by placing it into the oven, middle rack, and adding water to create at least a 1-inch level.
- Prepare your loaf pan by spraying lightly with non-stick spray or a very light amount of butter. Then line with a PARCHMENT SLING (lie one rectangle of parchment from North to South end of pan and then one rectangle of parchment from East to West end of pan, hanging parchment a little over the sides.) This will make it very easy to remove the cake later.
- Pour batter immediately into the parchment lined loaf pan. Place it into the oven in the middle of your large, deep BAIN MARIE PAN.
- Bake for 1 hour.
- Remove from oven, let cool for 10 min in the pan. Use the parchment sling to lift the cake. Remove the parchment carefully.
- Cut, add toppings as desired, serve, and enjoy!
- TO MAKE UBE SPONGE CAKES:
- Same as the above exactly, EXCEPT this step marked *** above: In a separate large bowl, whisk the egg yolks only with the milk and butter mixture, then whisk in the vanilla AND the 1 1/4 tsp UBE EXTRACT. Set aside. Otherwise both recipes are identical.
- Pour the UBE BATTER into the other loaf pan lined with parchment and bake for 1 hour as above.
Notes
IMPORTANT NOTES:
The bowl where you will whip the egg whites and the whisk itself must be clean of any traces of yolk, fat, or grease. These will prevent the egg whites from whipping properly and you will not be able to get a proper MERINGUE. My favorite way to clean them is to use WHITE VINEGAR, but some people use lemon juice. Just put some on a paper towel and wipe the equipment down. You'd be surprised at how well your egg whites whip up! (And it won't smell or impart flavor to the food.)
SOFT PEAKS = when you dip the whisk into the bowl of opaque white meringue and it creates a little mountain peak that gently falls over within 1-2 seconds (not dripping off)
β₯ DON'T HAVE CAKE FLOUR? For every 1 cup of cake flour, substitute: 1 cup of all-purpose flour minus 2 Tbsp + 2 Tbsp cornstarch, sift together twice, and use
BUY AMAZON & OTHER PRODUCTS like those seen in my video:
β₯ Swans Down Cake Flour: https://tinyurl.com/sw43y8urβ
β₯ Ube Extract: https://tinyurl.com/25n92xtdβ
β₯ Reynolds Parchment Paper, 3-pack: https://tinyurl.com/yodhjw3rβ β₯ Farberware 9"x5" Loaf Pans: https://tinyurl.com/127ck5ptβ
I encourage you to WATCH HOW TO MAKE THIS ON MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL, (LINK AT THE TOP OF THIS POST), IN ORDER TO LEARN ALL MY TIPS AND TRICKS TO BAKING THIS SUCCESSFULLYΒ π
Please also feel free to shoot me an email at: info@glamourandsugar.com and I can answer baking questions for you!
In addition, CHECK OUT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL FOR MORE FUN RECIPES ALONG WITH BLOOPERS, DANCING, AND ROLLER SKATING:
Thank you very much for coming by! I truly appreciate your support π
Hope to see you again soon,
Cherryπ