Red fruit summer naked cake

A few days ago I told you about the new trend in cakes: the return to traditional cakes or naked cakes . With the success they are having, I couldn't miss a recipe to encourage you to prepare one.

To do so, we have a new guest on the blog: we are very pleased that Rosa, author of the blog Pemberley Cup&Cakes , has agreed to come and give us her tips for making the most delicious cakes, and show us a very easy but highly delicious naked cake recipe. Welcome Rosa!

At this point, the appeal of these 'naked cakes' is undeniable. And, in addition to their totally charming appearance, they have all advantages: simple and delicious, all in one. To start, we will only need a good sponge cake and a cream of our choice for the filling, so, with very little effort, we will obtain a spectacular result.

This time, I have chosen a filling based on whipped cream and red fruits, now that summer is coming. I have also opted for a basic sponge cake, the classic Genoese sponge cake; soft and light, but resistant and with an authentic taste of traditional sponge cake. And it couldn't be simpler; basically you just have to weigh the eggs together (whole), divide the result in half and use the same amount of flour and sugar; no baking powder or additional fats. Easy, right? This time, however, I have slightly increased the weight of these two ingredients compared to the eggs to get a denser crumb, taking into account the degree of moisture provided by the cream and the fruit juices.

Pictured: Birkmann ceramics stand

Some tips when preparing your cakes

You probably already know that baking a cake is a piece of cake. In any case, it's worth going over the most basic (and simple) questions to ensure that our cakes - and most pastry creations - always turn out perfect:

- We will always have all the ingredients prepared in advance: perfectly weighed or measured and at room temperature (approximately 20ºC).

- It is vital to grease the mould you are going to use (especially if you are using metal moulds), both the bottom and the insides, before you even start mixing the ingredients. To grease a mould we can use different methods:
or a non-stick spray (special for this type of tasks),
or a thin film of sunflower oil or melted butter or
or the above plus a very light additional layer of flour (or cocoa, depending on the recipe) sprinkled evenly over the fatty ingredient used. In this case it is very important to remove the excess flour (or cocoa) by tapping the mould.

In any case, we must make sure that we do not over-grease and flour the moulds, otherwise the outside of our cakes will show signs of this, making them look rather dull. Sometimes, the recipe may also require that, in addition to greasing the mould, we line the inside with greaseproof paper or baking parchment paper. We must not forget that the paper must be greased on both sides.

- Although it may not be specified at times, it is highly advisable to always sift the flour (generally, together with the rest of the dry ingredients) before using it in the preparation of cakes. Not only does it become finer and airier - which will make the cake more fluffy once baked - but it will also ensure that any impurities that the flour may contain are removed.

- Despite what our instincts may lead us to believe, we should never overmix the flour. It is not about making a perfectly homogeneous dough as if we were making bread, but about integrating the flour with the rest of the wet ingredients just enough so that it remains hydrated. In this way, we ensure that we get a juicy and tender crumb.

- We will preheat the oven for at least 10 to 15 minutes before putting our cake in at the indicated temperature. For conventional cakes, this temperature is usually 180ºC (temperature in an electric oven without a fan)* and with heat from above and below. Generally, we will use the rack, which we will place in the central position. The temperatures indicated in the recipes are a standard reference and usually work without problem. But when it comes down to it, each oven is different and it is possible that ours does not really reach the temperature indicated. If in doubt, it is a good idea to get an additional oven thermometer.

- We will never fill the mold to be used more than ¾ of its capacity.

- If you use more than one mould, when placing them in the oven, place them as far apart as possible from each other and from the oven walls, so that the heat can circulate freely and our cakes are baked evenly.

- Although it may seem obvious, under no circumstances should we open the oven door during baking, except during the last few minutes to check that they are perfectly cooked inside.

- Once out of the oven and before removing our cakes from the moulds, we will leave them in their moulds for about 10-15 minutes (before that they are still very fragile and would break, but if we leave them longer, the heat would soften them). After this time, we carefully remove them from the moulds and let them cool completely on a rack , away from draughts and sudden changes in temperature to prevent them from losing their volume once out of the oven.

And from here to making a dream cake, we only need a few more minutes and a little extra care. Don't tell me it's not perfect to enjoy in good company. An unforgettable evening is guaranteed.

*155ºC (convection oven)/4 (gas oven)/350ºF

Pictured is a Le Creuset jam jar

INGREDIENTS (for 10-12 servings)

(All ingredients must be at room temperature, unless otherwise indicated)

For the cake:

6 eggs (L)
210 g white sugar
210 g of soft flour (normal wheat flour)
½ teaspoon salt

For the filling and decoration:

450 g of mixed fresh red fruits
50 g of strawberry, cherry, raspberry, red fruit jam, etc. (to taste)
200 ml liquid whipping cream (min. 35% fat), very cold
1 teaspoon lemon juice
15 g (2 tablespoons) powdered sugar (plus extra sugar for sprinkling)

ELABORATION

About the cake:

1. Preheat the oven (electric) to 180ºC and place the oven rack in the central position.
2. Grease, line with baking paper and grease again the inside of 2 round non-stick moulds with removable bases measuring 20 cm in diameter, such as these from Le Creuset . Set aside.
3. In a large bowl, beat the sugar and eggs vigorously using a whisk (preferably electric, for convenience) at high speed for about 10-15 minutes (more if done by hand) until you get a fairly dense mixture, much paler, spongier and very light. You'll know it's ready when the whisk doesn't drip when you lift it.
4. Next, add the flour and salt together in two batches, sifting them directly over the previous mixture and mixing after each addition just enough until the last trace of flour disappears. To avoid losing all the volume we have achieved, we will use very gentle, enveloping movements, from bottom to top.
5. Next, we divide the dough into two equal parts, divide it between the two molds we had prepared and smooth the surface with a spatula.
6. Bake for about 30-35 minutes until they have a nice golden colour. Before removing the cakes, check if they are well done by inserting a skewer into the centre; if it comes out clean of crumbs, remove them from the oven. If not, check every couple of minutes until it does.
7. Once properly baked, let them cool in their moulds on a rack for about 10 minutes. After this time, remove from the moulds and let them cool completely upside down on the rack before assembling our cake.

About the filling:

1. We carefully wash, drain and dry the fruit.
2. Next, in a medium bowl, mix 200 g of the fruit with the slightly warm jam and let it cool (if you used strawberries or cherries, it is best to cut them into pieces). Set aside the rest of the fruit for decoration.
3. Meanwhile, using a whisk (preferably electric, for convenience), beat the cream with the icing sugar and lemon juice at medium-high speed until it acquires a firm consistency (the grooves from the whisk should be marked in the cream when you stop beating). However, we must not overdo it or the cream will end up curdling (and we will have made butter). It must be used immediately; if not, we will keep it refrigerated.

Assembling the cake:

1. If necessary, use a long serrated knife or a lyre to trim the tops of the cakes just enough to even out and level the surfaces. Using a pastry brush , gently clean the cakes of any loose crumbs that may have remained.
2. Place the first cake, centered and face up (cake base on the bottom) on the cake pan or plate on which you are going to serve your cake (it is advisable to use the cake that turned out the least "flattering" first). Next, spread a generous layer of whipped cream evenly over the entire surface of the cake, making sure it reaches the edges (you don't need to go to great lengths to make the surface perfectly smooth). Reserve a couple of heaping tablespoons of cream to finish off the decoration.
3. Using a spoon, lightly drain the fruit that was macerating with the jam and spread it over the entire surface of the layer of whipped cream that we just applied.
4. Next, place the second cake, this time upside down, on top of the filling and press lightly so that it is well settled.
5. Finally, we apply a light layer of whipped cream on the surface, decorate with the rest of the fruit that we had reserved and sprinkle a little icing sugar on top to decorate.

And our cake is ready to serve and enjoy!

It can be stored refrigerated and well covered for 2-3 days. Before eating, leave the cake for about 20-30 minutes (depending on the climate) at room temperature outside the refrigerator to acclimatize.

GRADES:

- Please note: 1 teaspoon=5 ml; 1 tablespoon=15 ml.

- If you have the time, it is highly recommended to let the cakes rest in the refrigerator, well wrapped in cling film, overnight. This way, we allow both the crumb and all the nuances of the different flavours to settle perfectly, resulting in a very tasty cake with an ideal consistency.
- As for the sides of the cake, we can leave them as is or also pass a knife or spatula around them to smooth and seal them, thus giving it a different touch.
- Since this is a base cake for making almost any type of cake, we can add flavour nuances depending on the final result we are going to give it: extracts (vanilla, almond...), lemon or orange zest, spices (such as cinnamon, cardamom...), etc.
- We can also play with the cake itself, replacing part of the flour with pure cocoa powder (15-20% max.), to turn it into a chocolate cake or even with corn starch (of every 130g of flour we will replace 10g with the same amount of corn starch), to give an extra tenderness to the crumb.
- The fat content (MG) of the cream is very important to be able to whip liquid cream without any problem. To do this, we should always use liquid cream with a minimum of 35% fat. In addition, the temperature is vital; the cream must be very cold when whipping it. And if we cool the utensils we are going to use (bowl and whisk), we will achieve easier whipping and in much less time.
- If you prefer to use a single (deeper) mould and then cut it in two crosswise , please note that it will require a bit more baking time. Check after 45 minutes until it is fully cooked inside.

I hope that these brief tips have been useful to you and, of course, that you enjoyed the cake. A pleasure and bon appetit!

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