Image is for illustrative purposes only.
This is a mud-style sponge built on leftover cake. Every time you level a cake or trim the corners off a slab you are left with good cake that has nowhere to go, and this recipe turns those trimmings back into a fresh, bakeable batter with egg, milk, oil and self-raising flour. The crumb comes out dense, moist and slightly fudgy, close to a mud cake in the mouth but much quicker to make and bake.
Because it is soft and moist without being fragile, it works well as a base layer under mousse or cream, as a cut-out shape for novelty work, or simply sliced and filled. The flavour follows whatever cake the trimmings came from, so chocolate offcuts give a chocolate sponge and vanilla offcuts a light, buttery one. Keep the trimmings moist and fresh, not dried out, and the finished sponge will be all the better for it.
Ingredients
The weights in the recipe table below will yield the following 'weight per unit' and 'number of units'. If you would like to change the recipe to cater to a different 'weight per unit' and/or 'number of units',
you can use the Recipe Calculator Tool below the ingredients table.
Note: The Recipe Calculator Tool is available to subscribers.
Weight Per Unit: 1775
Number of Units: 1
Unit Size: 30 x 25 cm slab tray, about 3 cm high
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WEIGHT
(grams)
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ALTERNATIVE METRIC
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INGREDIENT
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IMAGE
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CONDITION
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A
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1000 |
2.2 pounds
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Cake Crumbs
Soft crumbs from fresh or day-old plain cake, rubbed or blitzed to a coarse crumb. They are softer and slightly moist compared with fully dried ground cake, and they help the base hold together.
fresh cake trimmings or offcuts
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moist, broken up |
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B
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300 |
6 Whole Eggs
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Whole Egg
Eggs are one of the most common ingredients in a typical cake. Egg yolks and whole eggs store significant amounts of protein and choline, and are widely used in baking. Usually an eggs role in a cake is to add moisture and richness, act as a raising agent as well as a glue to bind the ingredients together.
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room temperature, lightly beaten |
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C
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75 |
2.5 fluid_ounces
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Milk
Milk is a white liquid produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals before they are able to digest other types of food. Milk is processed into a variety of dairy products such as cream, butter, yogurt, kefir, ice cream, and cheese. Modern industrial processes use milk to produce casein, whey protein, lactose, condensed milk, powdered milk, and many other food-additives and industrial products.
full cream
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room temperature |
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D
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10 |
0.4 ounce
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Sodium Bicarbonate
Sodium bicarbonate (a.k.a baking soda, bread soda, cooking soda, and bicarbonate of soda), referred to as "baking soda", is primarily used in cooking (baking), as a leavening agent. It reacts with acidic components in batters, releasing carbon dioxide, which causes expansion of the batter and forms the characteristic texture and grain in pancakes, cakes, quick breads, soda bread, and other baked and fried foods. Acidic compounds that induce this reaction include phosphates, cream of tartar, lemon juice, yogurt, buttermilk, cocoa, vinegar, etc. Natural acids in sourdough can be leavened with the addition of small amounts as well. Sodium bicarbonate can be substituted for baking powder provided sufficient acid reagent is also added to the recipe. Many forms of baking powder contain sodium bicarbonate combined with calcium acid phosphate, sodium aluminium sulphate or cream of tartar.
Sodium bicarbonate was sometimes used in cooking vegetables, to make them softer, although this has gone out of fashion, as most people now prefer firmer vegetables. However, it is still used in Asian and Latin American cuisine to tenderise meats. Baking soda may react with acids in food, including vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid). It is also used in breadings such as for fried foods to enhance crispness.
Heat causes sodium bicarbonate to act as a raising agent by releasing carbon dioxide when used in baking. The carbon dioxide production starts at temperatures above 80 °C. Since the reaction does not occur at room temperature, mixtures (cake batter, etc.) can be allowed to stand without rising until they are heated in the oven.
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sifted |
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E
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15 |
0.5 ounce
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Cake Emulsifier (ovalett)
Cake emulsifier, sold as Ovalett, Jilk or sponge gel, is a soft paste that helps fat and liquid stay combined and holds air in the batter. It gives a finer, more even crumb and makes the mixture much less likely to split when the eggs are added.
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F
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175 |
0.7 cup
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Cooking Oil
Cooking oil is plant, animal, or synthetic fat used in frying, baking, and other types of cooking. It is also used in food preparation and flavouring not involving heat, such as salad dressings and bread dips, and in this sense might be more accurately termed edible oil. Cooking oil is typically a liquid at room temperature, although some oils that contain saturated fat, such as coconut oil, palm oil and palm kernel oil are solid. There is a wide variety of cooking oils from plant sources such as olive oil, palm oil, soybean oil, canola oil (rapeseed oil), corn oil, peanut oil and other vegetable oils, as well as animal-based oils like butter and lard. Oil can be flavoured with aromatic foodstuffs such as herbs, chillies or garlic.
neutral flavoured
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G
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200 |
7 ounces
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Self-Raising Flour
Self-rising or self-raising flour is white flour that is sold premixed with chemical leavening agents. Self-rising flour is typically composed of the following ratio: 1 cup (100 g) flour, 1 1⁄2 teaspoons (3 g) baking powder, a pinch to 1⁄2 teaspoon (1 g or less) salt.
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sifted |
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1775
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Recipe Calculator Tool
Using this tool, you can alter this recipe for your own requirements. Use the two fields below to generate new weights for the ingredients above.
STEP 1. Enter your Custom Weight Per Unit
The 'Custom Weight Per Unit' is already loaded with the weight per unit for this recipe but can be changed if required. If all you wish to do is change the number of units (or servings), just leave the current weight per unit.
STEP 2. Enter your Custom Number of Units
This is the number of units (or servings) you want this recipe to yield.
STEP 3. Click Calculate
The new weights for your adjusted recipe will be displayed in the table above.
Method
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STEP
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ACTION
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DETAIL
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CONDITION
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1 |
Pre-heat |
Pre-heat the oven to 180°C (355°F) and line a 30 x 25 cm slab tray with baking paper. |
Paper flat against the base and sides |
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2 |
Prepare |
Break up A (cake crumbs) by hand or in a food processor so there are no large lumps left. |
Even, moist crumb with no hard pieces |
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3 |
Mix |
Put A, B, C, D, E, F and G (cake crumbs, whole egg, milk, bicarbonate of soda, cake emulsifier, cooking oil and self-raising flour) into a mixing bowl and beat on medium speed until the batter is smooth and evenly combined. |
Thick, smooth batter with no dry flour or dry crumb showing; do not over-beat |
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4 |
Fill |
Spread the batter into the lined tray and level the surface with a palette knife. |
Even thickness right to the corners |
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Bake |
Bake at 180°C (355°F) for 15–20 minutes. If you use a deeper or smaller tin, allow longer and cover the top loosely with foil if it colours too quickly. |
Springs back when pressed and a skewer comes out with a few moist crumbs |
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6 |
Cool |
Leave the sponge in the tray for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a rack and peel off the paper. |
Completely cold before cutting or layering |
Important Notes
The halved recipe makes about 1,775 g of batter, enough for one 30 x 25 cm slab tray about 3 cm high, or two 20 cm round tins baked a little longer. Use fresh, moist cake trimmings — dry or stale offcuts will drink up the liquid and give a heavy result; if your trimmings are on the dry side, add a splash more milk. The flavour of the finished sponge follows whatever cake the trimmings came from. Once cold, wrap well and keep for up to three days at room temperature, a week in the fridge, or freeze it.
Tools & Arrangements
Mixing bowl and electric mixer with paddle, or a food processor for breaking up the cake trimmings; scales; spatula and palette knife; 30 x 25 cm slab tray; baking paper; cooling rack; skewer.
