These little darlings gave me such a hard time while unmolding them that I kept thinking of a song I love, Erasure’s “Here I go impossible again”. :D
The workout made me wonder why Ms. Lawson’s photo for these mini cakes shows them still in the pan they were baked, but it was worth it: the mini sponges were delicious and had an amazing texture – the syrup really gets into them, enhancing the citrus flavor. Yum!
I used both lemons and limes here but if you want to make the original recipe use just limes.
Mini citrus syrup sponges
from How to Be a Domestic Goddess
½ cup (113g) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup + 1 tablespoon (112g) sugar
2 large eggs
zest of 1 lime
zest of 1 lemon
1 cup + 2 tablespoons (160g) self-rising cake flour
pinch of salt
4 tablespoons milk
Syrup:
2 tablespoons lime juice, plus zest for decoration
2 tablespoons lemon juice, plus zest for decoration
½ cup (70g) confectioners’ sugar
Preheat the over to 180ºC/350ºF; generously butter an 8-cup mini-loaf pan.
Cream together the butter and sugar, and add the eggs and zest, beating them in well. Add the flour and salt, folding in gently, and then the milk. Spoon into the mini-loaf pan, and cook for 25 minutes.
While the cakes are cooking, prepare the syrup by putting the lime and lemon juices and sugar into a small saucepan and heating gently so that the sugar dissolves.
As soon as the mini-sponges are ready, take them out of the oven and prick them with a cake-tester all over. Pour over the syrup evenly. Try to let the middle absorb the liquid as well as the sides, then leave it to soak up the rest. Don’t try to take the cakes out of the pan until they have cooled slightly and the syrup looks like it has been absorbed, but be aware that if you leave these to cool completely they might be very difficult to get out of the pan.
So, after an hour or two, turn them out onto a rack and grate some lime zest over them before serving.
Makes 8 – I halved the recipe, used a muffin pan (each well holds 1/3 cup batter) and got 5 mini cakes
Those are not only pretty, they sound so refreshing and tasty!
ReplyDeleteGreat. Just as I vow to take it easy on the baking for a while, you dangle THESE in front of me. Am now considering buying jeans a size up in order to make these.
ReplyDeleteThose look really good! Hmm, maybe I should use some of my syrups leftover from candying things like this.
ReplyDeleteDo you ever bake anything that doesn't come out looking so pretty and cute?!
ReplyDeleteThere is just something about the word "sponge" when it comes to dessert that makes me want to instantly gobble it up!
ReplyDeleteooh i love lemon syrup cakes. They make such a nice change from icing and buttercream. These look divine!!
ReplyDeleteThese look adorable and delicious! Worth unmolding efforts. =)
ReplyDeleteThese are lovely!
ReplyDeleteoh my!! my list of things to try keep getting longer and longer! they look divine! :)
ReplyDeleteThese look delicious. I love eating citrus desserts in the spring time and will definitely need to try these!
ReplyDeleteThey look lovely Patricia! But naughty of Ms lawson not to mention that they are hard to get out of the pan! ;)
ReplyDeleteKelly, they are refreshing, indeed!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
Sara, tks for visiting! You made me laugh out loud - sorry to tempt you with the cakes. :D
Anna, that sounds like a great idea!
Pam, you are much too kind, darling!
xoxo
Alejandra, "sponge" + "syrup" and I am sold. :D
Thank you!
KJ, I agree! This syrup really works well with the sponges.
Ashley, you are right. ;)
Chriesi, thank you!
Pia, thank you, sweetie! I hope you and your kids like them.
Dessert Lover, tks for stopping by! I'm crazy about citrus, too. :D
Lorraine, she warned about unmolding them in 1-2 hours, but she did not say it was going to be so hard. ;)
xx
HAH! Nigella has her secrets... ;) We have calamansi here, and I think it would be an awesome way to go with this cake-- it looks so moist and delicious! :)
ReplyDeleteI love the name of these! And the yellow and green peel on top is so cute.
ReplyDelete