Berry Sponge Cake with Cream Cheese Frosting

1. A berry cake should be big. First, it is a festive dessert. Second, you will see for yourself that there is never enough of it. And third, the work for a small cake and a huge one is about the same. Prepare the fruit to put in the frosting between the layers, and the fresh berries – wash them and pat them dry. Make sure all the berries are fresh with no signs of spoilage.

   

How to bake the sponge

1. The simple sponge recipe differs little from the one I have already described. We are aiming for a large cake, so for the batter we use everything calculated for 10 chicken eggs. You will need a mixer with whisk attachments. Put the eggs into the mixer bowl and add the sugar. Also pour in liquid vanilla. Beat the egg mixture until it forms a uniform foam.

   

2. Add the sifted wheat flour to the egg foam, add half a packet of baking powder, and grate in 2 tbsp orange zest (12 g). Mix the batter until completely smooth. Prepare a springform pan. Line the bottom with a sheet of baking paper, then grease the paper and the sides with vegetable oil.

   

3. Preheat the oven to 180°C. Carefully pour the liquid sponge batter into the pan, trying not to form bubbles and keeping the surface smooth. Put the pan in the oven. Usually, if there isn’t much batter, it bakes in 20-30 minutes. In our case the volume is large and the batter contains baking powder, so baking can take 45-60 minutes.

   

4. Thanks to the baking powder the sponge is fluffy and tall – keep that in mind when choosing the height of the pan. The berry cake will be tall, given the thick layer of frosting and fruit between the layers. Remove the finished sponge from the pan, peel off the baking paper and let it cool to room temperature.

   

Making the frosting

1. When we set out to make the berry cake, we decided to keep to an extremely simple and accessible frosting. For this we boiled a can of condensed milk. It took about 1 hour. You can cool it under running water. Then mix the boiled condensed milk and cream cheese in the mixer bowl. Philadelphia or mascarpone works well. There are also cheaper products, often sold in large tubs.

   

2. Mix the condensed milk and cream cheese thoroughly with the mixer until completely smooth. Do not add vanilla, flavorings or sugar to the frosting – it already has everything it needs. The frosting turns out quite thick. It spreads beautifully on the layers and sets slightly when chilled.

   

Assembling the berry sponge cake

1. The sponge must cool completely. With a sharp knife carefully cut off the top and a thin layer from the sides – we do not use these when assembling the cake, and they get eaten with tea. Decide how many layers to use. We got three, though you could cut the sponge into more. Lay the cut layers out on plates.

   

2. Make the soaking syrup. In a small saucepan combine a glass of water, 5 tbsp sugar (70 g) and the juice of half a lemon, and add 2 tbsp of aromatic liqueur. Bring the mixture to a boil so the sugar dissolves. Then cool it to room temperature. Pour the liquid over the layers with a spoon or a clean sponge and soak them thoroughly so they are very moist.

   

3. Place a layer on the base – the berry cake will be served on it. Divide all the frosting roughly into parts – one for the top and sides, and one for each layer. Spread frosting on the sponge and smooth it well. A silicone spatula makes this easy. The layer of frosting should be thick enough that the fruit slices do not “stick out” of it.

   

4. Peel a few kiwis and bananas. Cut the fruit into small slices. Arrange the pieces over the frosting. If you like, add a few blueberries – they are firm and will not be crushed in the frosting under the weight of the upper layers. Press the fruit lightly with your palms so it sinks a little into the frosting.

   

5. Place the second sponge layer on top and press it down slightly. Spread the second layer with frosting in the same way and arrange the fruit. Do this with all the prepared layers, stacking them one on another with frosting and fruit slices in between.

   

6. Generously spread frosting over the top and sides of the cake. Smooth the surface and do not skip any spots. The frosting holds well and fills the gaps on the sides. Keep in mind that the frosting sets a little as it chills and it will be hard to fix flaws afterwards. Get it right the first time.

   

How to decorate the berry cake

1. We decorate the sides of the cake with almond flakes, which you can buy in the store. It is very convenient – the almonds are sliced thin and the flakes stick beautifully to the frosting on the sides. You can simply press them on, scooping them up on an open palm.

   

2. If the cake is made shortly before serving and you are not worried that the berries will wilt a little, you can arrange them right away. Lay the berries on top of the cake, pressing them very gently into the frosting. Make a pretty pattern of berries. And remember – you can never have too many berries. If you like, add a couple of sprigs of fresh mint. Put the cake in the fridge for at least 2-3 hours so it soaks through and the frosting sets.

   

3. Serve the dessert chilled. Cut it into pieces with a large knife and put them on plates. By the way, do not cut too thin – it is better when a slice stands on the plate rather than lying down. The dessert goes very well with tea and cappuccino.