No Ovalette Moist Sponge Cake

Not long ago, I wrote a post on ovalette. Thanks to a tip from Angie in my comment box (yes, THE talented Angie of Hokkaido Milky Loaf fame), I learnt that you can use condensed milk as a stabiliser. Obviously, my curiosity was piqued and I had to try it out.


Well, I'm happy to say that the results were excellent :) I will definitely be baking this again the next time I need a basic sponge cake for frosting.

I used my regular sponge cake recipe as a reference. First, I changed the method of making the cake, adding ingredients one at a time, instead of beating everything together from the start. I also halved the measurements because I didn't want too much wastage just in case my experiment failed ;) If you are looking for a small cake that is just right for a family of 2 adults + 2 or 3 kids, this is the recipe for you.

What is nice about this cake is that it has the fragrance/moistness of a butter cake without the heavy richness of one. The texture is very tender and fine-crumbed.

Verdict? A light sponge that is buttery, moist and tender to the bite. Definitely able to rival one that uses ovalette in the recipe.

Recipe
(from my own kitchen experiment - no guarantee/warranty!)
- 2 medium eggs
- 50g sifted cake flour + 1 Tbsp (because I noticed the mixture was a little wet)
- 50g castor sugar
- 1 tsp condensed milk
- 25g fresh milk
- 45g melted butter (unsalted)

1. Melt butter in milk, using microwave. Stir it. Leave aside to cool.

2. Put eggs, sugar and condensed milk into a mixing bowl. Beat everything on high until stiff and creamy (aka “ribbon stage”).

3. Fold in 1/2 of the flour, followed by melted butter/fresh milk, and finish adding the other 1/2 of the flour. Do not overfold.

4. Pour into a well greased or lined baking pan and bake at 170 degree celsius for about 30 mins or until a test skewer comes out clean.

5. When done, remove the cake and leave it on wire rack to cool.



Notes from The Little Teochew:
- I used the smallest baking tin that I had, and it was a loaf pan, measuring approximately 16cm x 7cm x 6cm. It was just the right size.

- I covered the cake batter with a sheet of aluminium foil and only removed it after 30 mins to brown the top. It was a very small cake, so I was careful not to let the top burn.

- The key lies in the beating of the eggs, so make sure you really do get that pale yellow creaminess before you start adding the rest of the ingredients.

- We would have finished up the entire cake for tea if not for the fact that I deliberately saved a slice overnight to see if it retained it softness. It did.