Brown Sugar Sponge Cake with Caramel Icing

This recipe, along with several other similar looking delicious sponge cake recipes, came from Donna Hays magazine, the source of many inspired and inspiring recipes. The secret to sponge cake is the eggs, use the freshest ones you can get, and for even better results, make sure they are room temperature. This recipe calls for brown sugar, but the only sugars I had were of the muscovado type, which tend to be a little wetter in texture. They did not impact the results too much. Too, I did not follow the recipe as how I have written it, I used a cake pan, and the sponge decided to bubble over, which is why the next time, I will try making it in a springform pan. Overall, it tasted pretty good, the caramel icing was not too sweet, and the sponge cake was light and airy.

Brown Sugar Sponge Cake with Caramel Icing
From Donna Hay Magazine
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
4 eggs
1/4 cup dark muscovado sugar
1/4 cup superfine sugar
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 cup light muscovado sugar
1 cup table (18%) cream

For caramel icing, stir in the light muscovado sugar into the cream in a small saucepan over medium heat, until dissolved. Increase the heat slightly, till it begins to boil, then reduce heat and continue to simmer rapidly, making sure it does not boil over, for 8 minutes, or until the caramel thickens. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely.

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F. Grease a 8 inch springform pan with butter and line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper.

Sift the flour and baking powder three times in a small bowl. Set aside.

Fit your Kitchenaid with the balloon whisk, or use an electric mixer, and beat on high the dark muscovado and superfine sugars with the eggs for 8-10 minutes, until it is thick, pale and tripled in volume.

Sift half the flour mixture over the egg mixture and gently fold in. Repeat with the remaining flour.

Pour the mixture into the springform pan and bake for 20-25 minutes, until the cake is springy to touch, and comes away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the pan and place on a wire rack to cool.

Spread the cooled caramel icing over the cake to serve.

Serves 6.