Pastry School: New Kid on the block.

Lesson 1: Sponge cakes (or as our French Pastry teacher says it... spooonge cakes)

This was my first day at a new campus, with new people and a class that is already established that is 3 times the size of my previous one. I hate being the new kid but feel I am getting better at it. I have also started a new job doing just patisserie, (hence the wind changing post) and am also the new kid on the block there too. Having avoided moving schools (except the transition to high school) I avoided this title for 13 years and getting it 4 times in one year I now understand what its like being a newbie and apologise to all newbies for not being more welcoming on your first day!

We kicked off the semester with cakes. First lesson we went with traditional and classic. The sponge cake and chocolate pound cake.

For the sponge cake we whisked by hand at the start in a bowl that fitted a mini-hobart (a hobart is a huge kitchen aid that is so big it sits on the floor, the ones at school are in between a hobart and a kitchen aid) 225g eggs, 160g sugar and vanilla over a bain-marie until it is approx 50-60 degrees celsius and changes colour slightly. We then attach the whisk attachment to the mini-hobart and whisk the mixture in the machine until it doubles in size, turns pale and fluffy and is no longer warm.

You then fold in the 80g bakers flour and 75g cornflour gently, divide into your lined tins and bake at 180 degrees celsius for 15-20 min. When they are done they should spring back when you touch the centre. You must remove the cakes from the tins immediately to stop any moisture forming. Then cool on a wire wrack until the fun begins.

Plain sponge and chocolate pound cakes. Straight from the oven!

The chocolate pound cake. Yes it is as delicious as it sounds!

A pound cake traditionally has a pound of each ingredient, hence the name; pound cake. 

Firstly we creamed 250g butter by hand until there was no lumps, added the 250g sugar and whisked until it was pale and fluffy looking. Next we incorporated the 250g eggs one at a time then finally the 170g bakers flour, 50g cornflour and 35g cocoa ditching our whisk and using a spatular. Divide into two lined tins and bake at 170 degrees celsius for 25-30min. Turn out of tin and cool on wire wrack.

Next we got to decorate them and make them more taste then they already were. 

With the sponge cakes we made a sandwich of raspberry jam and Chantilly cream (Chantilly cream is whipped cream with 10% icing sugar added) slicing the top layer so that when you cut it to serve you don't squash all the filling out. 

Sponge cake with jam and cream.

With our chocolate pound cakes we covered them in chocolate ganache making them even more delicious and chocolatey!

Chocolate pound cakes covered in chocolate ganache.

Unlike Commercial Cookery we get to take what we make home for a $5 fee, cash only ($1 extra if you need a cake box). I however didn't know this on my first day and had no cash on me so either someone else got to buy my cakes or the lovely ladies who do our washing up ended up with them.

Thanks for reading and keep watching for more delicious goodies!