Floral Sponge Cake

Ingredients
Sponge Cake

• 2 ¼ cups granulated sugar
• 1 ¼ cups salted butter, softened
• 7 large egg whites, at room temperature
• 3 ½ cups plain flour (plus, a little extra for dust the pan!)
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• ½ teaspoon table salt
• 1 cup water
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• Copha

Swiss Meringue Buttercream Icing

• 7 large egg whites
• 1 ½ cups unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups granulated sugar
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• ¼ tsp salt

Edible flowers to decorate!

Method (Icing)

1. In a medium pot, add at least 2.5cm of water and bring to simmer
2. Thoroughly wash and dry the stainless-steel mixing bowl from your stand mixer (you don’t want grease touching meringue). Add 7 egg whites and 2 cups of sugar and whisk together. Place mixing bowl over pot of barley simmering water, creating a seal over the pot (bow should be over the steam, not touching the water). Whisk constantly until mixture reaches 71 degrees Celsius (takes about 3 minutes). Sugar should be fully dissolved (you should not feel any sugar granules when rubbing mixture between your fingertips). Mixture will be hot to touch
3. Wipe water from bottom of mixing bowl and transfer bowl to stand mixer. Beat on medium high speed until stiff glossy peaks form (about 15-20 mins) and bottom of bowl feels completely at room temperature and not warm. (Important: warm meringue will melt the butter)
4. Once the bowl is at room temperature, switch to paddle attachment, reduce to medium speed and add butter 1 Tbsp at a time, adding it just as fast as it is absorbed. Once all butter is in, scrape down the bowl and continue beating until it reaches a thick whipped consistency. If it looks lumpy or any kind of liquid, keep beating until smooth, whipped and thick.
5. Add 2 tsp of vanilla extract and ¼ tsp salt and mix on med-high until incorporated (about 1 minute).
   

Method (Cake)

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees. Beat sugar and butter with a heavy-duty electric stand mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add egg whites in thirds, beating well after each addition.
2. Sift together cake flour, baking powder, and salt. Add flour mixture and water alternately to sugar mixture, beating on low speed just until blended after each addition. Stir in vanilla. Divide batter evenly among 4 greased (with Copha) and floured 8-inch round cake pans.
3. Bake in preheated oven until a wooden pick inserted in centre comes out clean, 18 to 22 minutes. Cool cakes in pans on wire racks 10 minutes. Transfer cakes from pans to wire racks, and cool completely, about 30 minutes.
4. Spread Buttercream Icing between cake layers and on top and sides of cake.
5. Decorate iced cake with your edible flowers with your design of choice – be creative!