CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE WITH DECADENT FILLING

This week has been slow to get back to a normal week.  There's been so much to do and to prepare to do next week...I have not baked at all...and dinners have been fly by the seat of your pants and "hope there's something in the pantry" to pull together!

I saw Stephanie Jaworski, of JoyofBaking.com, posted a video demonstrating chocolate sponge cake, rolled up with a raspberry cream filling.  I watched the entire video and started thinking about how much I'd always wanted to make a sponge cake, but for some reason, I've shied away from them.  Her demonstration made it look "doable".  If you decide to make this and have not made one before, I'd greatly encourage you to link to her video (below the title of the recipe) and watch the entire thing.  Great demonstration.  I am not a big fan of raspberry cream filling - it's not one of my favorites...but the stuff inside woopie pies IS a favorite...and I started asking myself if I couldn't just whip up some marshmallow fluff and some whipped cream and lay that down for the "roll up" part of the deal...sounded REAL good to me...so Wednesday, that was my afternoon activity.

CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE
Adapted From Stephanie Jaworski at JoyofBaking.com

Ingredients:

• 6 eggs, separated while cold, allow to come to room temperature
• 1/4 cup granulated white sugar, plus 2 tablespoons more, separated
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
• 4 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, melted, and cooled to room temperature (I used Callebaut Semi-sweet chocolate chunks and melted them in the microwave) 
• 1/2 tsp cream of tartar

Chocolate melted and cooled

Eggs Separated and to room temperature

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit with rack in middle position.  Prepare a 17x12 inch sheet pan by spraying pan with vegetable spray (like Pam or Mazola or one of those).  Cut a piece of parchment paper the size of your sheet pan, place it on top of the sprayed surface, then spray it and the sides of the pan with a baking spray (like Baker's Joy) that has both oil and flour in it.  Set aside.


In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the 6 egg yolks and 1/4 cup of granulated sugar on high speed until the mixture becomes thick and light yellow and fluffy.  This will take about 5 minutes.  When you raise your beater the mixture will fall back on itself in a slow ribbon. 

Egg yolks and sugar to slow ribbon stage

Next add the vanilla extract and mix well.  Add melted room temperature chocolate just until incorporated.

Chocolate mixed into egg yolk mixture

If you are like me and only have one bowl for the stand mixer, transfer this mixture to a large bowl, scraping out every little bit!  Wash your mixer bowl thoroughly, with soap and hot water to ensure no oil is left in the bowl and dry thoroughly.  Squeaky clean!!!


Return mixing bowl to stand mixer and add the egg whites.  Attach the whisk attachment and beat on medium until foamy.  Add the cream of tartar and beat at medium-high until soft peaks form.  Raise the speed to high and slowly add, bit by bit, the 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar.  Beat until stiff peaks form.

Stiff peaks!

Place 1/3 of the egg whites in the egg yolk and chocolate mixture and mix well to lighten.  Fold in the 2nd third of the egg whites, being careful not to deflate.  You'll have noticed there is no leavening in this cake - the egg whites do all the work.  Add the last of the egg whites and gently fold.  It's okay if there are a few white streaks...it comes together in the oven.

After lightening, added another 1/3 of the egg whites to chocolate mix

the batter is ready!

Spread the batter into the prepared baking sheet and using an offset spatula, evenly distribute it to the edges of the pan.  Gently tap the pan and you'll see bubbles popping. 

batter in the pan - gently tapped - to pop some of the bubbles

Bake until cake has lightly puffed and has lost its gloss (15-17 minutes).  It will spring back when lightly touched.  Remove from oven and place on cooling rack.  Cover the entire cake with a clean, lightly dampened cloth while cooling so cake top does not dry out and crack when you try to roll it.  I sprayed my cloth with a spray bottle.  It takes at least 30 minutes to cool.


Slide the cake, still on the parchment paper off of the pan.  If any sides are attached, loosen them with a sharp knife before removing the cake.  Mine slid out like "buttah".

Cooled cake removed to counter on parchment

MARSHMALLOW WHIPPED CREAM


1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 7 oz. jar Marshmallow Cream
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract


In bowl of stand mixer with whisk attachment, whip heavy cream and vanilla until soft peaks.

Whipped cream

Add the entire jar of marshmallow cream and whip on high until well incorporated and firm peaks form. 

The Marshmallow Creme mixed into whipped cream - yum!

Spoon all of this decadent whipped topping onto the top of the cake (still on the parchment) and spread evenly to all sides with an offset spatula.

Filling on the cake - and rolling begins - gently separate from paper

You can roll the cake long or short...obviously short gives you a taller cake with more rolls.  Long will give you a shorter cake and would be nice for "small bites".  Since this cake is literally melt-in-your mouth, I wanted big pieces :-)

This is where I might advise, once again, to take a peek at Stephanie Jaworski's video.  It really helps you get the technique of using the paper to help roll the cake with the filling.

Sprinkled with powdered sugar...or some cocoa would be good

Holy deliciousness Batman...I ate two pieces already...and it's not dinner yet!  I did share a piece with the teen...who was, surprisingly, not as impressed as I was.  He said "it's okay".  Perhaps you need to have a more mature palate to appreciate the melt-in-the-mouth light chocolately AWESOMENESS of this cake.  I don't care if I have to eat the whole thing by myself.  I'll just go swim laps or something...

OMG - this is so light and delicious...melts in your mouth - you'll notice - NO FLOUR in the cake!

I think the teen thought this was going to be like a Little Debbie Swiss Roll...but it's not...although, I may have to work on that...hmmmm...

BON APPETIT, Y'ALL!!!

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