Yogurt Sponge Cake With Fall Berry Compote Food

PASSION FRUIT SPONGE

Steps:

• To make the sponge: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Grease and line 2 (8-inch) cake pans with parchment.
• In a medium bowl, mix the flour, baking powder with the cornstarch and sift the ingredients together twice. Beat the eggs with the sugar for about 7 to 8 minutes or until the mixture is pale and thick. Gently fold the flour mixture into the beaten eggs.
• Mix the butter with the boiling water, and then add it to the sponge batter, stirring gently. Divide the mixture between the prepared cake pans, and bake for 20 minutes or until the cakes are golden brown and separating from the tins. Remove the pans from the oven. Cool the sponges in the pans for 10 minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• To make the icing: While the cakes cook and cool, beat together the sugar, butter and passion fruit pulp until a spreading consistency is reached.
• To serve, place 1 of the cakes on a serving plate and spread it with the whipped cream. Layer on the remaining cake and spread that with the passion fruit icing.

FALL BERRY CONSERVE

Steps:

• Combine cranberries, sugar, and port in heavy large saucepan.
• Bring mixture to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium-low; add chopped orange and grated ginger and simmer until cranberries burst and mixture thickens slightly, about 15 minutes.
• Mix in dried cherries and blueberries. Cool fall berry conserve completely. Stir in pecans and candied ginger. (Can be prepared 3 days ahead. Cover tightly and refrigerate.)

VICTORIA SPONGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and cream well. Add the eggs, vanilla, and salt and continue to mix well, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula occasionally. Fold in the sifted flour and pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch in the center, about 25 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack. Unmold and, using a serrated knife, slice the cake in half horizontally into 2 layers.
• To make Victoria Sponge Sandwiches: Dust your rolling pin and work surface with confectioners' sugar, and roll the marzipan into a disk the size of the cake. Using a knife, trim the marzipan to fit the circumference of the cake exactly. Spread the cut-sides of the cake layers with raspberry jam and sandwich the marzipan layer in between the jam-dressed cake layers. Press all the layers together; then cut into wedges, to serve. Dust the wedges liberally with confectioners' sugar.