Who Killed The Sponge Cake?


I am in mourning. I want to know what happened to a magnificent Australian institution. If it isn't an Australian institution then we'll claim it from the rest of the world. I can tell you it was certainly an institution when I was growing up. I'm talking about the mighty sponge cake. You know the one I mean. Baked heaven. It's so light and fluffy it floats on air-filled full of fresh cream and passionfruit and dusted in icing sugar. It gets my lips smacking and taste buds tingling just thinking about it. Where has it gone? You can't get it anywhere these days for love or money.
Well you can get it but you have to look really hard. One of the places where it's available is in the exclusive domain of that secret society of female brethren... the Australian Country Women's Association who perfected the art of making the sponge cake as well as scones, jam and cream.
Making the perfect sponge is a gastronomique challenge if ever there was one.
The margin for error between triumph and catastrophe is so small it doesn't bear thinking about. Get it right and you'll put a smile on the face of even someone with the sourest of temperaments. Get it wrong and all you've created is a cream filled frisbee. That reminds me. I must get my hands on the much coveted Country Women's Association recipe book.
But the fact is the humble Aussie sponge cake seems destined to only get star billing at once a year venues like the Sydney Royal Easter Show. Why should we have to wait a year just to get a slice of airy fairy delight I ask?
I blame TV cooking shows like Master Chef and so-called foreign patissiers like Adriano Zumbo and his macaroons. It's all French merde if you ask me. He's driven the sponge cake away. Too old-fashioned. Not trendy enough. Well to hell with it.
History reserves a place for the kinds of things that remain true to self. You only have to look at the worldwide cupcake revival. Now there's a little institution if ever there was one and people are loving them. We're awash with cupcakes.
But I really do think it's about time we all stood up for the humble sponge and returned it to its rightful place front and centre among all of the other afternoon tea comestibles. And you can add lamingtons, custard tarts and cream buns while you are at it.



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