Last week I made another Pavlova (the best by far, it was piled nice and high and truly decadent). Which meant I had another 4 egg yolks to use up. Ruth offered me an old recipe of hers for a sponge cake and saved me from resorting to another batch of hollandaise sauce.
Here’s the recipe for Ruth’s Golden Egg Yolk Sponge
Beat until thick and creamy:
4 egg yolks
2 Tablespoons of hot water- Gradually add until totally dissolved, 1/2 cup sugar
- Sift together then fold into egg batter:
1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder - Fold in 2 Tablespoons of hot milk
- Pour into pan (I used a loaf pan)
- Bake at 180 for 20 minutes (test with toothpick to make sure it’s done)
Who knew that when you beat egg yolks with hot water they grow huge and creamy? I sure didn’t (which is a slightly embarrassing admission for a chicken owner). This recipe was an eye opener – it’s not just whites that whip up in size. Which I guess explains why 1/2 cup of flour makes a whole (smallish) cake. I was expecting more like a large cupcake. It rose quite a bit during the baking process, then, it typical egg fashion, fell towards the end of baking.
The sponge cake was a success and is moist and rich but sponge cake isn’t really my thing. I think it would be great served with ice cream and/or whipped cream and/or berries/jam, but on its own, it’s a bit bland for my taste. Maybe I could fill the cake itself with berries?
Laura Rittenhouse's Gardening Journal 