Cotton Soft Sponge Cake

Step 1

Grease, line and lightly flour an 8 inch / 20cm cake pan. Dust out excess flour and keep aside.

Step 2

Heat the butter a saucepan, over low heat.

Step 3

Add milk and sugar and a pinch of salt and stir until the sugar dissolves. Turn off the heat, sift in the cake flour, add the egg yolks and mix by hand, until just combined. do not over mix

Step 4

In a separate bowl, Whisk egg whites until foamy, squeeze lime or lemon juice and add sugar a little bit at a time, beating until stiff peaks form. See note 1

Step 5

Add about 2 Tablespoons of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture.

Step 6

Mix until just combined and then pour this combined batter into the remaining egg white mixture It is important that you gently fold this batter until combined. Do not stir or whisk vigorously, just fold the mixture.

Step 7

Pour the batter into the greased and lined cake pan. Tap the cake pan on the countertop a few times and get the air bubbles out of your cake batter.

Step 8

Prepare the water bath by pouring cold water into a large pan. I use a large roasting pan for this purpose. Place the cake pan containing the batter into the large roasting pan The water in large baking pan should reach 1 inch / 2 ½ cm up the sides of cake pan.

Step 9

Bake in preheated oven 302°F /150°C for 20 to 25 minutes or until the cake is firm and set in the center. Baking time is just a guide,as oven temperatures and cake tin sizes vary.

Step 10

If you find that the cake is browning too quickly before it has been baked, then just cover loosely with foil. Do not let the foil touch the batter.

Step 11

Once baked, remove from the oven and water bath. Leave the cake in the pan to cool for about 10 minutes before gently turning out. Cool completely and dust with powdered sugar or sandwich and cover with a frosting of your choice.

Step 12

Can I double this recipe? See note 2

Step 13

Do I whisk or fold in the egg whites? See note 3

Step 14

What is the water bath method and how does it help? See note 4

Step 15

Does the cake deflate when removed from the oven? See note 5