Japanese Coffee Sponge Cake Food

COFFEE CAKE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Line and butter two 18cm sandwich tins. Add the sugar and butter to a bowl and whisk until very fluffy and pale.
• Whisk the eggs in a mug with a fork, then add them gradually to the mixture with 1 tbsp of flour each time. (Make sure you don't use all the flour.) When the eggs have been fully combined into the mix, add the rest of the flour and fold it in gently.
• Add the dissolved coffee to the mixture, still folding. Divide into the sandwich tins and cook for 25-30 min until risen and firm and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Leave to cool in the tin for 5 mins then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely. Can be frozen at this stage.
• Meanwhile, make the icing by beating the icing sugar with the butter until light and fluffy, then add the dissolved coffee. Whisk, then cover and set aside until ready to ice the cake.
• Spread half the icing on the bottom of one sponge and spread the strawberry jam on the bottom of the other, if using. Sandwich together, then spread the remaining icing on top. Decorate with walnuts or cherries, if you like.

GREEN TEA JAPANESE SPONGE CAKE - KASUTERA

Steps:

• Separate the egg whites from yolks into two large bowls.
• Whisk sugar, honey, vanilla, green tea powder, and salt into egg yolks until everything is mixed together.
• Place bowl in a large pan of hot water.
• With an electric mixer, beat about 5 minutes on medium-high speed until pale yellow and doubled in volume.
• Gently fold in flour.
• In the large bowl, beat egg whites in electric mixer on a low speed 1 minute, increasing speed to medium-high until eggs are foamy.
• When the eggs are foamy, sprinkle in one tablespoon of sugar and cream of tartar.
• Beat until the egg mixture is stiff.
• Using a spatula, fold the egg whites gently so the bubbles in eggs are not destroyed.
• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
• Use parchment to line the bottom of two loaf pans.
• Grease the parchment.
• Pour batter into pan.
• Place pans on middle rack of oven 35 to 45 minutes or until golden brown. When done, cake sides will pull away from pan slightly; top will be flat and feel spongy when pressed with finger.
• Cool for 20 minutes.
• Run a small knife between edge of cake and pan. Remove from pan carefully.
• Pull off parchment and cool completely.
• Cut, serve and enjoy!

CHIFFON COFFEE CAKE ROLL WITH KAHLúA WHIPPED CREAM

Steps:

• Line a 8 X 12" rectangular cake pan with parchment paper.
• Preheat oven to 325 F.
• In a small bowl, combine all the "wet" ingredients together with a whisk and set aside (this includes first portion of sugar).
• In a large mixing bowl, sift in dry mix. Stir to combine.
• Create a well in the center. Inside it, add all the "wet" ingredients.
• Combine until just incorporated, do not over mix as it will result in a tough cake. Set aside.
• In a clean and dry, non-plastic mixing bowl, whip egg whites on slow speed until frothy, add cream of tartar.
• Increase speed to medium, once the whites become opaque and bubble size have tightened up, add the second portion of sugar a little bit at a time.
• Increase speed to med-high, whip until stiff peaks. (Note 5) You've now made a meringue.
• Gently fold 1/3 of the meringue into the coffee-flour mixture to get it moving. Once incorporated, fold in the rest of the meringue. Do not stir. Use batter immediately.
• Pour batter into lined cake pan from one spot, spread out the batter evenly with an angled spatula.
• Tap the pan on the counter to release large air pockets.
• Bake for 10-12 min. at 325 F until a skewer pulls out clean and cake springs back in the center.
• Let cool in pan for 5 min.
• Place cooling rack over cake pan.
• Flip cake over onto the rack, gently remove paper.
• The side facing up will eventually become the top of the cake roll. Let it sit on cooling rack for 5 min.
• Place a new piece of parchment paper on top of the cake.
• Flip the cake over and start rolling, allowing the parchment paper to be in between the folds. This will prevent the cake from sticking to itself. It's important to roll the cake before it cools completely, otherwise, it will crack while rolling.
• Let it cool in this wrapped condition while making the Kahlúa Coffee Whipped Cream.
• In a mixing bowl, add cream, instant coffee powder and Kahlúa. Add coffee to taste, up to 2 tsp. Stir gently until coffee is dissolved. Place in the fridge to chill for a minimum of 2 hours. It's important for these ingredients to be completely chilled before whipping.
• Place beaters in fridge to chill, it will help the cream whip more efficiently.
• When coffee cream is completely chilled, place water in a heatproof cup and sprinkle gelatin on top to bloom. Wait 5 minutes.
• Place cup in a small sauce pan filled with simmering water. Once gelatin becomes liquid, take it out of the water. Let cool on the counter.
• Immediately start whipping the coffee cream mixture on medium.
• Once the bubbles have decreased in size and the mixture is gaining volume, add the sugar.
• Whip until the beater starts leaving tracks inside the cream, pour the cooled gelatin into the bowl slowly and steadily. Aim for the area in between the whisk and the bowl while continuing to whip.
• Increase speed to medium-high. Stop beating once the cream turns stiff (Note 7). Do not over whip.
• Use cream to assemble the cooled cake immediately.
• Gently unwrap rolled cake and spread an even layer of coffee cream on it. Reserve 1/5 of the cream for decorating the top. (Note 8)
• Carefully roll up the cake from the short edge using the parchment paper to help push the cake onto itself.
• Wrap with plastic wrap or a new piece of parchment paper and place in refrigerator to set before cutting.
• Unwrap assembled cake. If desired, pipe swirls of coffee cream onto the top of the cake and decorate with chocolate or sprinkles.
• Before serving, cut off sides for a cleaner presentation. Coffee cake roll can be kept in the fridge in an air tight container for 2-3 days.

JAPANESE CHEESECAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F. Spray a 9-inch round cake pan with cooking spray and line the bottom with parchment. Place a 3 1/2-inch-wide strip of parchment around the inside of the pan so that it comes up about 1 inch higher than the edge; set aside.
• Heat the cream cheese, milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until smooth. Remove from the heat and let cool slightly, about 5 minutes.
• Whisk together the vanilla, egg yolks and lemon juice in a large bowl until smooth. Pour the cooled milk mixture into the yolk mixture and whisk until smooth and combined. Whisk in the flour and cornstarch until combined; set aside.
• Beat the egg whites, cream of tartar and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form, about 2 minutes. Slowly add the granulated sugar and continue beating on medium speed until stiff peaks form, about 2 minutes longer.
• Gently fold the egg white mixture into the yolk mixture in 3 batches, making sure not to overmix (you want the whites to stay as fluffy as possible). As soon as the white streaks disappear from the batter, pour it into the prepared pan.
• Place the cake pan inside of a larger pan and pour enough hot water into the larger pan so that it comes 1 inch up the sides of the cake pan. Bake for 30 minutes, then reduce the oven to 250 degrees F and continue baking until the cake is doubled in size, golden brown on top and around the edges and jiggly in the center but set, about 1 hour and 15 minutes.
• Let the cake cool for 10 minutes. Carefully invert the cake onto your dominant hand (right onto your palm--this is the most gentle way to handle it), then invert it back onto a cake stand or plate so that the top is facing up. Sprinkle the entire top with confectioners' sugar and serve while still warm.

JAPANESE SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F Grease and line a 7-inch (18 cm) round cake pan with parchment paper.
• Whisk eggs very well in a bowl. Place bowl in a larger bowl partially filled with warm water to make a warm water bath. Continue to whisk eggs. Add sugar a little at a time, whisking all the while.
• When the egg mixture is a light yellow color, sift the flour and add it to the eggs along with the baking soda (if using) and mix in lightly.
• Warm the milk in the microwave; add butter and stir until melted. Add milk mixture and vanilla (if using) to egg mixture and stir in gently.
• Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350° F for 25-35 minutes (cake should be springy in center when gently pressed with fingers).
• Remove cake from pan and cool on wire rack.
• When cake is cool, slice in half horizontally to make 2 layers.
• In a large bowl, whip cream and sugar together until fairly stiff. Divide whipped cream into two portions; set one half aside.
• To remaining half of whipped cream, add chopped fruit as desired. Spread fruited whipped cream over the bottom half of the cake. Top with upper half, and spread whipped cream over top, and sides of cake if desired (or leave them uncovered if preferred). Garnish top with additional fresh fruit and serve.

COFFEE SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Butter side and bottom of a 9" round pan; line bottom with parchment paper.
• Sift flour, baking powder and salt together; set aside.
• Heat milk in a small saucepan over low heat until 150°F (pretty hot, but don't let milk boil); remove from heat.
• While milk is heating, beat eggs in a large bowl until yolks and whites are well-combined.
• Add sugar, then beat on high speed for about 4 mins until mixture is light, fluffy and thickened.
• Turn to low speed and beat in vanilla and dissolved coffee.
• Add in flour mixture, mixing until just incorporated.
• Slowly add in hot milk, continue mixing (low speed) until mixture is smooth (batter will be thin).
• Turn the batter into prepared pan.
• Bake in the middle rack of a preheated oven at 350°F for 25 mins until the top feels firm when touched lightly, and a toothpick inserted in the center of cake comes out with just a few crumbs clinging to it.
• Cool cake for 5 mins in the pan.
• Loosen the side of the cake from the pan using a small knife, and invert the cake onto a wire rack.
• Remove the parchment paper from the bottom of the cake and replace it loosely on the cake.
• Let the cake cool thoroughly, top side down.
• To make the syrup: Dissolve coffee granules and sugar in warm water (mix in a small bowl), then stir in the Kahlua/brandy.
• Assembly: Cut the sponge cake into 2 layers with a long serrated knife; set bottom layer onto a cake board/lazy susan.
• Brush top of 1st layer generously with syrup, and fill with the desired filling/frosting.
• Brush the 2nd layer of cake with syrup and set it on top of the filling, syrup side down.
• Brush the top of the cake with remaining syrup and frost the top and side as desired.