Sunday Scribblings "Recipe"

G'Day,
I am back. Back for the weekly Sunday Scribblings prompt after a few weeks away. .....Procrastinating on ...what ever.
I've really been taking too much time wrapped up in face book and playing farm ville in there, but we won't dwell on that will we.
Recipes.
I do have quite a collection of favourites tucked away in my little black A5 folder. I have been collecting them ever since I was first married, and probably before that as well. I have always loved cooking. I was the best sponge cake maker, and loved to cook them when I was just 9 years old. I was very proud of my sponge making skills back then. Thanks Mum.
My favorite one back then was the sponge cake recipe on the side of the Fielder's cornflour box. I have since graduated onto a few others proven to work for me.
I have often heard people say they can't make sponge cakes, but I reckon it is just a matter of finding the recipe that works for you and use it. I have found that the ones made with cornflour and no flour in them work best for me. Plus following a few tips regarding sponge cakes helps too. They are not that hard.
Sponge cake tips.
1.Wash your bowl and utensils in hot soapy water before you start, because any grease or oil on them will stop the egg whites whipping up properly.
2.Have your eggs at room temperature, sometimes I cheat by putting them in lukewarm water for a while if they are cold.
3. Use eggs that are a few days old, not straight from the nest, as the real fresh ones won't whip as well, also eggs that are not too old as they won't whip either.
4. If the recipe says to separate the egg yolks from the whites don't get any of the yolk in the whites.
5.Make sure you sift the cornflour and raising agent 3 times so they are mixed properly and aerated well.
6. Grease and flour the tin or grease and line it with grease proof paper to stop the mixture sticking and the cake easy to remove.
7.My old neighbour Nanny Fox told me that swans eggs make the best sponges ever and that 1 swan egg = 8 hen eggs (Never tried it though). Duck eggs are good too but I think they make a bit tougher cake. 2 hens eggs = 1 duck egg.
8. Always follow the the destructions. Hahaha.
9. When mixing in the dry ingredients use a metal knife to fold them in, not plastic or wood because the mixture will collapse a bit. You want as much air to stay in there as possible.
10. When you have the uncooked mixture in the tin give it a gentle tap on the bench top to even it out and bring any big air bubbles up to the surface.
11. When you fold in the dry ingredients be gentle but make sure they are mixed in evenly and there is no dry ingredient left in air bubbles not mixed through properly.
12. Use fresh ingredients, especially the raising agents.
13. When you take the cooked cake out of the oven it should be just beginning to shrink back from the edges of the tin and if you can hear it crackling it is probably not cooked in the middle.
14. Wrap it lightly with a clean tea towel as it cools because this will help to stop it shrinking as much, cornflour sponges do that, but they will look alright again when you fill and decorate them and the shrinkage is not so noticeable then.
15. In the honey roll recipe that follows, note that the eggs are not separated, I have cheated with the other recipes doing them this way and mixing the yolk and white together at the same time and it works, but do time the mixing if you try it this way. You still have to be careful folding in the flours gently by hand though.
16. Be gentle and don't open the oven before time or go banging around the oven or the cake will go flat.
17. Use caster sugar as it dissolves quicker in the egg mixture.

O.K. that is all I can think of at the moment for the tips section.
here are the 3 recipes that work best for me.

HONEY ROLL.
My favorite honey roll sponge. I got this one from my old neighbour years ago when I lived out in the back blocks at Urana. This is a good one because you don't need to separate the eggs.
3 eggs
1/2 cup sugar (preferably caster sugar if you have it)
pinch of salt
1/2 cup cornflour
1/2 teaspoon each of mixed spice and cinnamon
1 and a half teaspoons baking powder.
1 teaspoon honey.
Method;
Beat eggs for 2 minutes on high speed.
Add sugar and salt then continue to beat on high for a further 8 minutes.
Turn mixer to low then add honey, then the carefully sifted dry ingredients.
Pour into greased and grease proof paper lined Swiss roll tin, spread it out evenly.
Bake in preheated oven at 200 degrees Celsius for 20 minutes.
Have a clean dry tea towel waiting on the bench for when the cake is cooked.
Cool in tin for 2 0r 3 mins so you can handle it, don't let it get cold or it will crack when you try to roll it, then turn out onto tea towel and carefully peel off the paper. Trimming off about a cm or so along the edges of the cake now will help to stop it cracking when you roll it and you get to sample the trimmings. Yum.
Roll up the cake inside the tea towel and let it cool down wrapped up inside .
When it is cold carefully unwrap cake and fill with whipped cream. Make sure the cake is cold or the cream will melt. Don't need to unroll it completely to do this as it increases the risk of it cracking. Yummmmmmmm!

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This was also from a neighbor, it was her family recipe so I always remember it as being her
AUNTY TIB's Sponge.
Expect this one to shrink when you take it out of the oven so keep it out of the cold draughts by draping a clean tea towel over it as it cools.

4 large eggs
3/4 cup cornflour
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 tablespoon custard powder
1/2 teaspoon bicarb soda
pinch salt
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
Method;
Separate egg yolks from whites.
Whip whites until soft peaks form. Mixer up high.
Add salt and,sugar gradually. ( I do this in about 4 parts, making sure the sugar is dissolved into the whites before adding the next lot of sugar.)
Add yolks one at a time and beat in well.
Gently fold in the sifted dry ingredients with a knife then lightly whisk through to make sure it is all mixed trough evenly.
Place in 2 tins or one larger greased and lined tin.
Cook in moderate oven 25 to 30 minutes.

I used to always make this one until I got this next recipe. Now this one is the one I always use for birthday cakes. Filled with strawberry jam and cream and topped with more cream and strawberries. Or passion fruit icing. Yum.

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This recipe is from my Lady Flo Bjelke Peterson cook book. Flo was the wife of the Queensland premier Sir Joe and was known for her no nonsense attitude and country women's cooking skill.
This recipe is a sweeter one than the other two.

Light Sponge Cake.

4 eggs separated
1 cup caster sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 and 1/4 cups cornflour.
125grams butter
Method;
Beat egg whites until light and fluffy.
Add sugar salt and yolks, bet well.
Fold in sifted flour and baking powder
Add cooled melted butter and stir gently until all mixed together.
(A wire whisk works well to do this job)
Divide mixture evenly in to 18cm round sandwich tins.
Bake in moderate oven for10 to 15 minutes or until the cake leaves the sides of the tins.

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There you go, go play if you feel so inclined. These work.
No pictures to share, just my recommendation.
Being a simple girl I took the prompt literally. Recipe.