Vanilla Hot Milk Sponge Cake
An Original Recipe by Lorraine Elliott
Preparation time: 15 minutes Thermomix, 25 minutes traditional
Cooking time: 40 minutes
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1 1/4 cups/310ml/11flozs. whole milk
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1 stick/113g butter
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1 teaspoon salt
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1 3/4 cups/385g/13.6ozs caster or superfine sugar
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4 eggs, room temperature
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2 teaspoons vanilla bean paste
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2 cups/300g/10.6ozs cake flour*
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2 teaspoons baking powder
Vanilla Sour Cream Frosting
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500g/1.1lb icing or powdered sugar
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125g/4ozs butter, softened
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60g/2ozs sour cream
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1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
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Sprinkles
*Cake flour can be bought at the supermarket. You can also make it at home. To make 1 cup/150g/5.2ozs of cake flour replace 2 tablespoons of plain all purpose flour with cornflour/fine cornstarch and whisk well. I usually mix up a big batch of this and keep it in a container ready for baking cakes as it produces a softer texture.
Step 1 - Line a 30x20x5cm/13x9x2inch brownie or slice rectangular pan on the base and sides with parchment. Preheat oven to 160C/320F. In a saucepan heat the milk and butter until the butter has melted and stir in the salt (do not boil, just scald the milk). Set aside. Sift the flour and baking powder together into a bowl.
Step 2 - In the bowl of a mixer fitted with a whisk attachment whisk the sugar, eggs and vanilla for 5 minutes until syrupy thick and very pale yellow (almost white). Add the hot milk mixture and whisk for 15 seconds or until incorporated. Then fold in the flour mixture on low speed in two lots until smooth (do not overmix). It will be a very liquidy batter. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the centre springs back when gently pressed. If you bake this as a bundt you'll have to double the cooking time to 60 minutes. Cool on a cake rack.
Step 3 - Make the frosting. Beat the butter and sour cream until smooth. Sift the icing sugar and add vanilla into the bowl and then beat on low speed increasing speed once the icing sugar has been combined. Spread over the cooled cake and add sprinkles.
Thermomix Directions
Step 1 - Line a 30x20x5cm/13x9x2inch brownie or slice rectangular pan on the base and sides with parchment. Preheat oven to 160C/320F. Add the milk and butter into the Thermomix bowl and set to 4 minutes, 100C, speed #1. Pour into a jug and set aside.
Step 2 - Add the sugar into the bowl first (so that the residual bowl heat doesn't cook the eggs) and then the eggs and vanilla and insert butterfly whisk. Set to 3 minutes, speed #4 -it should be very pale yellow (almost white) and syrupy in texture (see above). Add the hot milk mixture and set to 15 seconds, speed #4. Then add in the flour, baking powder and salt and set to 10 seconds, speed #4. It will be quite a very liquidy batter. Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the centre springs back when gently pressed. If you bake this as a bundt you'll have to double the cooking time to 60 minutes. Cool on a cake rack.
Step 3 - Make the frosting. Add the icing sugar into a clean and dry Thermomix bowl. Set to 15 seconds, speed #6 (to remove lumps). Add the butter, sour cream and vanilla bean paste and set to 30 seconds, speed #4. Spread over the cooled cake and add sprinkles.