Vanilla Sponge Cake Recipe With Berries and Cream

This is a recipe for a hot milk sponge cake that makes a great base for layer cakes and trifle. It’s the easiest and best tasting recipe for a classic vanilla sponge cake that you can use to make Victoria sponge cake, fraisier and framboisier cakes, and berry trifles. It keeps well in the refrigerator or freezer. It’s the perfect layer cake by Anna Olsen from her newest book Baking Day. I was gifted a copy by Anna and the Appetite By Random House team and I knew I had to share this recipe. It’s the no fail vanilla sponge cake you need in your like and it’s my favourite layer cake to make in the summer with all the berries. It carries through til stone fruit season and perfect with sliced peaches, apricots, cherries, pineapple, kiwi you name it. Layers of moist, plush, tender, fluffy soft sponge cake (I’m pretty sure I used up all the descriptive words there) piled high with fresh whipped cream and mixed berries – simple and refreshing for your back yard celebration. Minimally decorated naked style to show off those pillowy layers of cream and all the beautiful berries.

Recipe

Yields: Two 9 inch round cakes

Servings: 12

Prep Time: 30-40 mins

Cook Time: 25-30 mins

Ingredients

For the cake

• 1 cup 2% milk
• 6 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 5 large eggs, room temperature
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups cake and pastry flour
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4 cups fresh mixed berries, halved if large

For the whipped cream frosting

• 2 cups whipping cream
• ½ cup of icing sugar, sifted
• 2 tablespoons instant milk powder*
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  

Directions

For the cake

1. Preheat oven to 350°F and grease and line two 9 inch round cake pans with parchment.
2. Heat the milk and butter together over medium heat until butter is melted. Keep the mixture warm over low heat while preparing the rest of the batter.
3. In a small bowl whisk together the flour, baking powder, and salt and set aside.
4. In a large bowl using a hand mixer or standing mixer with whisk attachment – whip the eggs, sugar and vanilla at high speed until the eggs are light, pale butter yellow colour and have more than doubled in volume, approx 5 minutes.
5. Add the flour mixture to the eggs all at once and combine at low speed.
6. Spoon approx 1½ cups of the cake batter into a separate bowl and whisk in the hot milk. This will help temper it. Add milk mixture all at once to the rest of the batter and whisk by hand to combine
7. Pour batter into the pans as evenly as possible (for perfectly even cake layers you can weigh the batter). Bake for 25-30 min until the cakes spring back when gently pressed. Cool cakes completely in their pans on a cooling rack before removing to assemble.

For the whipped cream frosting

1. In large bowl using standing mixer or hand beater with whisk attachment, whip the cream at high speed until it starts to hold its shape.
2. Add the icing sugar, skim milk powder, and vanilla. Whip at low speed to work the icing sugar in and then increase the speed limit on high and continue to whip until the cream holds a peak when the beaters are lifted.

Assembling the cake

1. Place the first cake layer on a cake stand or platter. Dollop half of the whipped cream frosting on top, and spread it on evenly. Top with 1½ cups of fresh fruit evenly over cream. Gently place the second cake over top. Spread remaining frosting on top of the cake and arrange the remaining fruit on top.
2. Chill the assembled cake, uncovered, for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day covered before slicing and serving. This time in the refrigerator helps whipped cream thicken and makes slicing easier. If chilling for more then 2 hours wrap carefully or place in a cake carrier in the fridge. The berries may start to release their juices if chilling more than 2 hours.
3. Cover leftover cake tightly and store in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
   

Recipe Notes

To make ahead:

• Cakes: can be made up to a day in advance. I usually leave them in the pan to cool completely then wrap them tightly with plastic wrap. Allow them to come to room temperature before assembling them. It’s best to assemble the day you make it.
• Whipped cream frosting: can be made up to a day in advance as well. Store in a sealed container in the fridge.

For freezing:

Wrap cooled cake airtight and refrigerate for up to 5 days or freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost at room temperature.

• Why the skim milk powder: The skim milk powder works as a stabilizer so the frosting will stay in place and not deflate even if whipped a full day ahead of serving. If you cannot find it or don’t have it just leave it out. Your whipped cream will have less stability but will still be delicious.