Cherry Cardamom Victorian Sponge Cake
Ingredients
- 350g soft butter
- 320g castor sugar
- 6 eggs
- 350g cake flour
- Pinch of salt
- 15ml baking powder
- 30ml full cream milk
- 15ml water
- 5ml vanilla paste
- 5ml ground cardamom
- Icing:
- 250g double thick cream
- 500g mascarpone
- 100ml fresh cream
- 45ml icing sugar or to taste
- 2,5ml vanilla paste
- To garnish:
- 200g cherries or strawberries
- Icing sugar, to dust
- Mint sprigs, to garnish
Method
- Cream the butter until light in colour and gradually add the sugar.
- Beat until the mixture is fluffy and the sugar has dissolved slightly.
- Add the eggs one at a time with a teaspoon of flour, beating well after each addition.
- Add the cake flour, salt and baking powder.
- Fold the ingredients until well combined, add the milk and water.
- Add the vanilla paste and ground cardamom.
- Lightly fold in and divide the batter into 3 greased and lined 20cm cake tins.
- Bake the cakes in a preheated oven at 170 degrees Celsius for 20 – 22 minutes.
- The cakes should be golden brown and a skewer should come out clean when tested.
- Leave the cakes to cool on a wire rack.
- Place the double thick cream, mascarpone and fresh cream into a mixing bowl.
- Add the icing sugar and vanilla paste.
- Whisk until thick and well combined
- Sandwich the cakes with cream, reserving some for the top.
- Swirl the remaining cream over
- Garnish with cherries and dust lightly with icing sugar
- Decorate with mint.
- Garnish the cakes with fresh cherries then decorate with sprigs of mint.