Sponge Cake for a Friend

Last night, we had a wonderful BBQ dinner at Angeline & Simon's to celebarate Cassandra's birthday. Angeline is the first girl I know who loves to cook on a barbie and she single handedly cooked up a whole meal for 6. She made some beef skewers, chicken drumletts, corn on cob and garlic bread. I brought some squid marinated in curry powder to throw on the BBQ and Cassandra brought a nice salad. Oh how I wish I brought my camera! The kids also had their own meal, penne bolognaise which Angeline specially made for them.


For the occassion, I made an orange sponge with strawberries and cream. This is my 2nd attempt on a sponge cake and I must say it turned out so much better than my first. It was soft and moist. It was definitely a good sign when people helped themselves to a second helping. :)

This recipe is adapted from Good Food magazine (Apr 2010 issue) by Sophie Hansen.

225g unsalted butter, at room temperature
190g caster sugar
5 eggs at room temperature
1 1/2 cups (225g) self raising flour
1/4 teaspoon of bicarb soda
finely grated rind of 1 orange
300ml thickened cream
1/3 cup (110g) raspberry jam
150g strawberries, hulled and thinly sliced

Pink Icing
1 cup (160g) pure icing sugar, sifted
2 tbsp hot water
2-3 drops pink food colouring


Preheat oven to 180C or 160C fan. Grease and line two 20cm round cake tins.

Using an electric mixer, beat butter and caster sugar until pale and creamy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Using a large metal spoon, gently fold through the flour and orange rind until just combined.

Divide batter between prepared tins. Bake for 20 minutes, until cakes spring back when lightly touched and have shrunk slightly from the sides of tins. Cool in pans for 5 minutes, and then turn onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Using an electric mixer, beat cream until soft peaks forms. Spread top of each cake with jam. Arrange sliced strawberries over one cake, then spread over whipped cream. Top with remaining cake, jam side down.

To make icing, mix icing sugar and water until a thick paste forms. Stir in food colouring, one drop at a time, until icing reaches desired colour and consistency. Pour icing over top of cake. Serve as it is or decorate with anything you desire.

Chocolate Brownie

I was not into cooking or baking when I was living in Malaysia until I came to study in Australia about 11 years ago. It was either cook or go broke eating out every day. So I started to learn how to cook and bake from people around me. I didn't have a clue about baking - well, what does it mean when the recipe says fold in the flour? How do you FOLD flour?! Then one day, a housemate of mine was making chocolate brownie. I hung around to watch her (that is when I understood the term fold the flour). When she was done, the brownie smelled fantastic and tasted great. So I asked her for the recipe and the rest is history.

Chocolate Brownie

125g butter

125g dark chocolate

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup plain flour

2 tbsp self-raising flour
3/4 cup chopped pecan/macadamia nuts

Preheat oven to 180 degrees. Place butter and chocolate in a saucepan over very low heat. Stir until mixture is smooth. Place eggs and sugar in a bowl. Beat until pale and thick. Sift in the flour and pour in the chocolate mixture and nuts. Grease a 20cm square cake tin. Pour in the mixture into the tin and place in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes or until the brownies are set. Allow to cool and cut them into square pieces and serve.

I like the brownies with coffee but you can also serve it with cream or ice-cream.

Go on give it a try, it is very simple.