Japanese Cotton Sponge Cake

By stancec44

You won't want to weigh down this cake with super-heavy or thick toppings, but it's still an incredibly versatile dessert. Here are a few ways to enjoy it:

Split the cake horizontally and fill it with whipped cream, or slice it and serve each piece with whipped cream and maybe some fresh fruit on the side.
Go for a no-fuss presentation, with just a dusting of powdered sugar or a simple glaze.
Decorate the cake with candied citrus peel.
Poke the surface of the cake with a toothpick or a fork, and drizzle it with your favorite syrup to infuse the flavor all through the cake.
Toast slices of the cake and serve with ice cream.
Top the cake with a thin layer of homemade ganache.

Ingredients

• ⅔ cup all-purpose flour
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted and slightly cooled
• ⅓ cup whole milk
• 5 eggs, separated
• 1 teaspoon vanilla
• ⅛ teaspoon cream of tartar
• ⅔ cup granulated sugar

Details

Servings 1
Adapted from mybluprint.com

Preparation

Step 1

1. Prep
Position an oven rack in the center of the oven. Preheat to 350 F. Generously grease the bottom and sides of a 9-inch springform pan. Line the bottom with a circle of parchment paper and grease the top of that, too.

2. Mix the Ingredients
In a medium bowl, sift the flour and salt together. Set aside.

In a separate large bowl, mix the butter and milk until combined. Stir in all five egg yolks and mix in vanilla.

Whisk the flour and salt mixture into the wet ingredients, and stir until everything is combined and lump-free.

3. Get It Foamy
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the five egg whites and cream of tartar until foamy. Add the sugar and whisk until firm peaks form.

4. Put It All Together
Fold a third of the egg white mixture into the egg yolk mixture, and gently incorporate it until you don't see any more streaks. Now do the same for another third of the egg white mixture, and repeat with the final third.

5. Bake
Turn the batter out into your prepared cake pan, smoothing out the surface before you bake.

Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce the heat to 325 F. After 10 more minutes, rotate the pan. Bake for 20 more minutes or until the cake is golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

6. Let It Cool
Remove your cake from the oven, and let it cool for a couple of minutes. Run a sharp knife around the perimeter of the pan to loosen the sides, then remove the springform sides. Let the cake cool completely before you serve it.