DOWN TIME

TASTY

Today I needed some down time, for me that means personal time when I do that which pleases me most, so this day I have spent in the kitchen. "Cake Boss" is one of my favorite shows on TV and I am baking Buddy's sponge cake recipe, as usual, I always change recipes up a bit to suit myself, so today I added cocoa (of course) to turn the cake into chocolate sponge cake.




After I decided to bake this cake I did a little research due to the fact I didn't really know the definition of a "sponge" cake, I found that it is a cake made without shortening, although Buddy's has ¼ cup of butter. I'm taking this anomaly personally and feel he knows all about me, and the ingredients that make me happy! The eggs are beaten to death for a good while and that is the secret of a great Sponge cake (supposedly), we'll see. It seems that the eggs do something interesting and cause holes to form in the baked batter thus the term "sponge"!



After the cake started baking, I began to wonder if the cocoa I added called for adjustments to the recipe, and as I continued to research, I found that I should have added more sugar, but this cake called for two cups to begin with so I am hoping that this will do. In addition, I am going to make pseudo Twinkie filling, for the middle section so everyone's favorite tooth should be satisfied!



I found another fact, these cakes will freeze nicely, which I will need to do to save it from myself due my lack of will power when it comes to chocolate! I must first cool it then wrap it tightly in plastic wrap and freeze it unfrosted. On Saturday morning I will remove it from the freezer add the filling and ice with "French butter cream icing", because I like the sound of it. That will give me time to find just the right recipe for the icing because so far I have found about three hundred different ones on the internet. I am also thinking that I will probably add a raspberry sauce on top of the Twinkie filling!



Do you feel you are getting to know me a little better?



I am experiencing all of this wonderful excitement of a new recipe amid the tongue drooling scent of it baking as we speak! Later after I take a little rest I can contemplate the fact that my coming visitors usually prefer "store-bought" generic brand, hard chocolate chip cookies. You know the ones, those from "Vacation Bible School" days, when you were so hungry you would eat anything, and beg for your friend's second cookie; I think it was akin to the "Stockholm syndrome", you began to love them because they were saving your life, so you thought!



So now, the cake is cooling on the racks and it looks ok, rather good in fact. I understand that this cake will naturally harden in a few days, but I'm wondering if it should be echoing now when I rap on the top! Oh well, if it gets too hard as the week-end goes on I will make a hot chocolate sauce and saturate the cake with it and add a dollop of whipped cream, after all chocolate hides a multitude of mistakes!


Can I get a loud AMEN?!!