Sponge Cake with Maple-Rum Butter Cream

Sometimes it’s nice to just toss the “light” cake recipes out the window, and go with a really fluffy and rich cake, with a texture that can only be obtained by using meringue – a rich whipped mixture of egg whites and sugar. And while at it, why not top it all with a rich and tasty butter cream that, how else, can only be obtained by using lots of butter and sugar? And to add even more flavor and fragrance, why not drizzle the cake with a Rum and Maple syrup?
Indeed, the cake takes a bit more time to make, but I’m sure that once you’ll taste this scrumptious decadent cake, you’ll agree it is worth the extra effort. Try it and enjoy.

Notes:
– For best results, all the ingredients should be at room temperature. So make sure to take them out of the fridge at least an hour before starting.
– If you want to end up with a fluffy cake and smooth butter cream, make sure not to skip the sifting stage.
– The bowl in which you whip the egg whites should be clean of any traces of fat, otherwise they will simply not whip. Note that egg yolks are fatty, so separate the eggs carefully.
– Egg whites whip better with a bit of acidity, which is why we add the vinegar. The vinegar will not effect the flavor, so no need to hesitate about using it.

The cake:
Makes: 2 cakes: 9 ½”(24 cm) + 8”(20 cm)
Prep time: 30 minutes
Bake time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:
2 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
6 XL eggs
¼ cup oil
1 cup fresh orange juice
½ tsp vanilla
1 ½ cups sugar
½ tsp vinegar

1. Preheat the oven to 340F (170C).  Place a rack in the middle of the oven. Butter and lightly flour 2 round baking pans 9.5” (24cm) + 8” (20cm).
Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt. Set aside.
2. Separate the eggs: place the egg whites in the mixer bowl and the egg yolks in a large mixing bowl.

3. Add the oil to the egg yolks and mix well. Add the orange juice, vanilla and ¼ cup of the sugar and whisk together.
4. Add the vinegar to the egg whites and start whipping on medium-low speed. When large bubbles start to form, increase the mixer’s speed to medium and start adding the sugar slowly. Increase the speed to medium-high and continue whipping until a firm and shiny meringue is formed.

5. Add a small amount of the meringue to the bowl with the egg yolks mixture and whisk well. (This will fluff the mixture). Now add about half of the rest of the meringue, and this time, whisk gently, so that the meringue will not break.
6. Add the flour mixture and fold gently with the whisk. Change the whisk to spatula, add the rest of the meringue and mix gently to form a smooth batter. Do not over mix.

7. Divide the batter between the two pans and place, side by side, in the oven. Bake for 30 minutes, until the cakes are golden and pull from the sides, and when you press the center with your finger, the cakes bounce back.
8. Transfer the cakes to a rack and let cool for 3 minutes in the pans. Turn out of the pans on the rack and let the cakes cool completely, upside down.

Maple-Rum Syrup 
In a small pot, combine 1/3 cup of golden Rum with 1/3 cup of Maple Syrup. Bring to a boil, lower the heat and cook 2 minutes. Cool to room temperature.

Maple-Rum Butter Cream
Prep time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
4 cups powdered sugar
½ tsp salt
3 sticks (340 grams) butter, very soft
1/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla
2 Tbs real Maple Syrup
1 Tbs golden Rum

1. Sift powdered sugar and salt. Set aside. 2. Place the butter in the mixer bowl fitted with the creaming hook, and whisk on medium speed until it is fluffy and pale. Scrape the sides at least once.

3. Lower the mixer speed to very low and add the powdered sugar. Cream to incorporate, while scraping the sides from time to time.

4. Add the milk, maple syrup and rum. Increase the speed to medium-high, and keep creaming for about 5 minutes.  Scrape the sides and cream for 4-5 minutes longer, until the cream is pale and smooth.

To assemble
1. Drizzle the syrup over the top of both cakes, and spread evenly with the back of a spoon.
2. Using a large spatula, spread a thin layer of the butter cream on the top and sides of both cakes. Place the smaller cake on top of the larger one.
3. Spread a thin layer of the butter cream all over the cakes and transfer to the freezer for 5 minutes, to let the first layer harden. (This step helps with spreading the rest of the frosting more evenly and without crumbs.)

4. Set aside about 1 cup of the frosting, for piping (optional). Spread the rest of the cream evenly all over the cakes.
5. Fill a pastry bag, fitted with a pasty tube in any pattern you prefer, and pipe the frosting all around.
6. Transfer the cake to the fridge for at least an hour, to let the butter cream set. Transfer to a serving plate, garnish with some berries and serve.