I'm not going to lie, I was a bit gutted when I saw this month's We Should Cocoa Challenge set by Choclette. The secret ingredient for April is marzipan. I loathe marzipan - the flavour, the smell, everything! However the key word in the title is 'challenge' and I was determined to try baking with it - maybe it would change my mind about the evil almond paste. I trawled the internet to find a recipe which combined marzipan and chocolate and eventually came across this one for Spanish Vanilla Cake on cooksunited.co.uk. I was with Mr CB when buying the ingredients - I didn't realise that he too has a shared dislike of marzipan, even commenting that he couldn't have a packet in the house. He is prone to exaggeration so I did ignore this comment and buy it anyway!
I ordered a bundt tin specially for this cake but it unfortunately hasn't arrived yet so I had to make do with a normal springform tin. I really like the fact that this mixture was so light due to the beaten egg whites and it does result in a great springy cake. It is very similar to those little madeleine type cakes you get in bags in Spanish (a clue in the name of the cake maybe?!) supermarkets - a little bland but strangely moreish at the same time. I would prefer this cake without the marzipan - while the flavour isn't overpowering it is definitely there. Mr CB however did manage a whole slice....
The Recipe
250g marzipan
150g sugar
1 vanilla pod
pinch salt
1 egg
6 eggs, separated
150g plain flour
50g cornflour
60g dark chocolate, roughly chopped + extra for decorating
1. Grease a springform tin and preheat the oven to 190c.
2. Whisk the marzipan with half of the sugar, the scraped out vanilla seeds, salt, egg and 6 egg yolks. Stir until creamy.
3. Beat the egg whites with the remaining sugar until stiff and fold into the mixture.
4. Sieve the flour and cornflour over the batter and fold in. Finally fold in the chopped chocolate.
5. Pour the dough into the tin and bake for 60 minutes.
FAQs
Sponge cake is a light cake made with eggs, flour and sugar, sometimes leavened with baking powder. Some sponge cakes do not contain egg yolks, like angel food cake, but most of them do. Sponge cakes, leavened with beaten eggs, originated during the Renaissance, possibly in Spain.
What is a Spanish cake called? ›
Bizcocho (Spanish pronunciation: [biθˈkotʃo] or [bisˈkotʃo]) is the name given in the Spanish-speaking world to a wide range of pastries, cakes or cookies. The exact product to which the word bizcocho is applied varies widely depending on the region and country.
What is Spanish Delight cake made of? ›
The cake has very classic preparations with a soft sponge cake layer, vanilla whipped cream, a chocolate whipped cream, sugar syrup and a sweet egg yolk layer.
Is French vanilla cake the same as vanilla cake? ›
Both white and yellow cakes are vanilla cakes—assuming they contain vanilla extract or paste. Vanilla cake is a catch-all term for sponge cakes that have a vanilla flavor. French vanilla cake is also a vanilla cake, but with a more distinct flavor.
What is sponge cake called in America? ›
Sponge cake comes in many forms, with angel food cake being the most well-known in America. Basically, a sponge is a cake made very light by whipping the egg and carefully folding in the flour mixture.
What is the bean in Spanish cake? ›
The “Roscón de Reyes” is also well known for the small trinket which is hidden inside. Many years ago, bakers would hide a small dried kidney bean inside; the lucky person who found the bean would have the honour of paying for the whole cake! Nowadays, it's rare to find Roscones with beans inside.
Which is a popular Spanish dessert? ›
Flan. Arguably the most popular classic Spanish dessert, flan is also one of the most versatile. Indeed, there are numerous variations of the rich, gelatinous dessert which incorporate eggs, cheese, coconut, and vanilla.
What do Puerto Ricans call cake? ›
In Puerto Rico a cake is called a “bizcocho”.
What do they call cake in Mexico? ›
Latin America
For example, the Italian torta, German Torte or French tarte. In Mexico, the sweet cake is normally referred to as pastel, which is also used in other parts of Latin America with this meaning.
What is a pastel in Spanish cake? ›
Pastel is the Spanish and Portuguese word for pastry, a sugary food, and is the name given to different typical dishes of various countries where those languages are spoken. In Mexico, pastel typically means cake, as with Pastel de tres leches.
Some sources say it may have first shown up in a Texas newspaper, which is why it's called "Texas" sheet cake, while others claim the name comes from the fact that it's the size of Texas. Regardless of its origins, this cake is truly a crowd-pleaser.
What is a Spanish wedding cake? ›
Most traditional Spanish wedding cakes don't take the traditional tiered English wedding cake; instead they are more like a flan tart cake one that is usually filled with fruits, nuts and sometimes even custard…yummy!
Can I use vanilla ice cream instead of vanilla extract for cake? ›
Vanilla ice cream. Vanilla extract is already used to make vanilla ice cream, so it only makes sense that it can also be used as a substitute for vanilla extract! However, this substitute is best for other frozen dessert recipes such as milkshakes and floats, not for baking.
Why is French vanilla yellow? ›
What makes French vanilla “French” is that the base for the ice cream contains egg yolks, while the base for regular vanilla ice cream does not. The egg yolks lend a pale-yellow color to French vanilla ice cream and also gives it a richer, smoother consistency and mouthfeel.
What kind of vanilla do bakeries use? ›
Vanilla beans, paste, and extracts have more depth of flavor than imitation vanilla, but many of those flavor notes break down at the high temperatures used during baking. For this reason, imitation vanilla is preferred by some bakers for cookies and cakes.
What's the difference between a sponge cake and a butter cake? ›
Both are similar at a glance, but look deeper and you'll see these two confections couldn't be more different. Sponge cakes are light physically, getting their name from the slightly spongy texture that won't hold up to a heavy frosting. Butter cakes are heavier and more dense, with a hearty weight to each bite.
What is the difference between travel cake and sponge cake? ›
Due to the ingredients makeup to make it travel friendly, it is different from some of the traditional sponge. Its is like comparing a chocolate sponge cake with a flourless chocolate cake, in terms of the texture and taste. The travel cake is significantly more dense, in a good way, and much more flavourful.
Is sponge cake the same as angel food cake? ›
The primary difference is that angel cake relies solely on egg whites and contains no fats, while sponge cake uses both egg yolks and whites and can often include fats like butter.
