Gift Sponge Cake (Soviet-Style "Podarochny")

Cooking method

1. Step 1:

   

   How do you make this classic sponge Gift Cake? Gather your ingredients. Wash the eggs and pat them dry. Instead of cognac you can use rum, a liqueur, or syrup spiked with vodka. The peanuts are for coating, so you can swap in any other nut. Or use a chocolate glaze instead of the nut coating — whatever you prefer. Just keep in mind that you'll end up with a slightly different cake. :)

2. Step 2:

   

   Gather the ingredients for the classic sponge. They should all be about the same temperature — either all cold or all warm. Mine are cold. Separate the eggs into whites and yolks.

3. Step 3:

   

   Beat the yolks with half the sugar until thick and pale (5–7 minutes with a mixer).

4. Step 4:

   

   Start beating the whites on low speed until soft peaks form. Then gradually raise the speed and, without stopping, add the remaining sugar a little at a time, along with the salt to stabilize the whites. Beat to stiff peaks — stiff enough that the whites stay put when you turn the bowl upside down.

5. Step 5:

   

   Fold the beaten whites into the yolks a portion at a time. Using a spatula, gently fold from the bottom up until you have a light, fluffy batter.

6. Step 6:

   

   Sift the flour. Add it to the batter in batches, sifting it again as you go. Fold gently from the bottom up to keep the batter full of air. You may need a little more or less flour, so watch the consistency.

7. Step 7:

   

   Line the cake pan with parchment and brush it with vegetable oil. Don't grease the sides — the sponge needs to "climb" and cling to the edges as it bakes. Gently pour in the batter and smooth the top.

8. Step 8:

   

   Bake the sponge in an oven preheated to 350°F (180°C) for 20–35 minutes. Don't open the oven for the first 15–20 minutes, or the sponge may collapse. Go by your own oven for exact time and temperature. Test for doneness with a wooden pick — if it comes out dry, the sponge is done. Let the baked sponge cool, then turn it out of the pan. It's best to let it rest 8–12 hours; it firms up over that time and won't crumble when you split it into layers.

9. Step 9:

   

   You can make the cream and assemble the cake the next day. First make the soaking syrup. In a small saucepan, combine the water and sugar and stir. Bring to a boil, and once the sugar has fully dissolved, take it off the heat. Let the syrup cool, then stir in the cognac.

10. Step 10:

    

    Gather the ingredients for the cream. Use good-quality butter. You can leave out the cognac if you prefer. The milk can be any fat percentage.

11. Step 11:

    

    In a saucepan, whisk the egg, then pour in the milk and stir.

12. Step 12:

    

    Add the sugar to the egg-and-milk mixture and stir. Set the saucepan over low heat and bring to a boil, stirring constantly so the egg doesn't curdle.

13. Step 13:

    

    Cook the milk syrup over low heat, stirring, until it thickens (about 5–7 minutes). Hot, it looks like condensed milk; it thickens more as it cools. Pour it into a cup, cover with plastic wrap, and let it cool, then refrigerate. For the cream to come out fluffy and stable, it's important that the milk syrup is cold.

14. Step 14:

    

    Beat the room-temperature butter with the vanilla sugar until light and fluffy.

15. Step 15:

    

    Add the chilled milk syrup to the whipped butter a spoonful at a time, beating well with the mixer after each addition. At the end, beat in the cognac (optional).

16. Step 16:

    

    The buttercream is ready!

17. Step 17:

    

    Cut the sponge into 2 layers with a sharp knife. Evenly soak each layer with the water-and-cognac syrup. You can also thin the syrup with a little water and use that to brush the layers.

18. Step 18:

    

    Spread most of the cream on the bottom layer, set the second layer on top, and press down lightly. Cover the top and sides evenly with the remaining cream.

19. Step 19:

    

    Toast the peanuts in a dry skillet without oil, stirring often, until golden. Let them cool and rub off the skins. Put the nuts in a sturdy bag and crush them with a rolling pin — not too coarse, not too fine — or chop them with a knife.

20. Step 20:

    

    Coat the cake all over — top and sides — with the nuts. Then dust it with powdered sugar through a sieve. Refrigerate the finished cake for 4–5 hours, or overnight. Enjoy!