Bizcochuelo (sponge/pound cake from Uruguay)

Kelly's Bizcochuelo

This is a very versatile cake recipe. Kelly's mother is a fabulous cook from Uruguay. This is her recipe for a light, moist cake that is typically filled with cream and fruit or pastry cream, and sometimes served with Dulce de Leche. Kelly's mom typically frosts the cake with cream and baked meringue. Her flan recipe, (also on the blog) is also the best I have found and our family favorite.

This recipe fits perfectly in a 9" spring form pan or 2 9" cake layer pans. A doubled recipe will fit a 12 x 12 or 10 x 15 cake pan. If you are not using a spring form pan, line the bottom of the cake pan with parchment paper.

5 eggs (yolks and whites separated)

1 C. sugar (divided and added 1/2 C. at a time)

3 T. boiling water

1 C. flour

3/4 tsp cream of tarter

1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp. vanilla

Preheat the oven to 300 degrees

Separate 5 eggs into 2 mixing bowls. Beat the egg yolk. While beating yolks, gradually add 1/2 C. of sugar to the yolks, 1 tablespoon at a time until the sugar is fully incorporated. Gradually add 3 T. of boiling water into this mixture. (It is very important that the water is added gradually, tempering the eggs, not cooking them. After the water is added to the egg yolk mixture, the consistency will become thin, like water. This consistency will allow the yolk mixture to absorb the flour)  In a third bowl, sift together 1 C. flour with 1/2 C. sugar* Gradually  add the flour/sugar to the yolk mixture, sprinkling a little at a time and beating well to incorporate each addition. (I recommend a hand blender) Set aside.

To the bowl with the egg whites, add 3/4 tsp cream of tarter, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 tsp vanilla. Beat until egg whites are stiff and firm, but not until they have lost their shine.

Patiently and carefully fold the yolk mixture into the beaten whites. Use a large spoon or spatula, drizzle a spoonful of yolk mixture over and across whites and gently fold in. Pour into pan and bake at 300 degrees for 30 to 40 min. Cake will be done when it is not indented in center and toothpick comes out clean....should  basically look like this, rounded  but possibly less bubbly looking.

Be careful not to either over or under cook. An under cooked cake will be doughy but an over cooked cake will be too dry.

Baked Merengue

3 egg whites 

1 3/4 C. powdered sugar*

3 T. sugar (baker's sugar preferred)

Beat egg whites until stiff and glossy. When egg whites have turned white and smooth, begin adding sugar  1 T. at a time. When egg whites hold a stiff peak, spread a thick layer (about 1/2 inch) over a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 2 hours at 200 degrees. Don't let it brown. May need to lower the temperature if it begins to brown. Leave in the oven until dry throughout. After merengue  has cooled, peel off the parchment paper and crumble into pieces. May keep in an air tight container. Frost the cake with whipped cream and stick the pieces of merengue into the whipped cream frosting.

It is probably best to make the merengue a day in advance.

*This is a lot of sugar. It will be very sweet, (too sweet for Brooke), and can be reduced to as little as 6 tablespoons.