Description
Create a magical birthday centerpiece with this tender strawberry-flavored hot-milk sponge cake. This recipe produces a sturdy yet velvety crumb that is perfect for carving into a whimsical princess gown and decorating with elegant whipped cream rosettes.
Ingredients
- Softened, room-temperature butter
- Caster sugar
- 4 large farm-fresh eggs
- Hot milk
- All-purpose flour
- Baking powder
- Baking soda
- Strawberry essence
- Red food color
- Whipping cream
- Icing sugar
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 170°C (340°F) and beat the softened butter and caster sugar until pale and creamy.
- Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each, then stir in the strawberry essence, red food color, and hot milk.
- Sift the flour, baking powder, and baking soda together, then gently fold into the wet batter in small batches.
- Divide the batter among three round cake pans and bake for 20–25 minutes until a skewer comes out clean.
- Prepare the icing by whipping cold heavy cream, icing sugar, strawberry essence, and red color until stiff peaks form.
- Level the cooled cakes, stack them with icing in between, and carve the stack into a dome-shaped skirt.
- Apply a thin crumb coat of icing, chill for 20 minutes, and insert a plastic-wrapped doll into the top.
- Use a piping bag and star tip to create rosettes or ruffles across the skirt and pipe a matching bodice onto the doll.
Notes
When adding the hot milk to your batter, ensure it is steaming but not boiling to prevent the eggs from curdling. If you do not have graduated pan sizes, you can bake identical layers and use the leftover scraps from carving to create cake pops or a small trifle.
- Prep Time: 45 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Dessert
- Method: Baking
- Cuisine: Farmhouse