Recipe of the Week: Sponge Cake/Somlói Galuska

Indisputably the sponge cake is one of the most famous Hungarian desserts. It was first made for the World Exhibition of 1958 in Brussels by József Béla Szőcs. It won the professional price and became an instant favourite. The confectioner gave the name to the cake, which comes from the name of the hill, Somlyó, where he lived and worked. The original recipe is still a secret, but many people tried to recreate it which is why many recipes exist. However, you can tell if you eat a real Hungarian sponge cake.

This dessert is the encounter of several tasty layers which would work in themselves too. Now, don’t let the list of ingredients scare you away. It takes some time to make it but bear with us! It is definitely worth it!

Ingredients:

For the simple sponge:

• 4 eggs
• 4 tablespoons of sugar
• 4 tablespoons of flour
• 0,5 a teaspoon of baking powder
• 2 tablespoons of water

For the cocoa sponge:

• 4 eggs
• 4 tablespoons of sugar
• 4 tablespoons of flour
• 0,5 a teaspoon of baking powder
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder

For the walnut sponge:

• 4 eggs
• 4 tablespoons of sugar
• 4 tablespoons of flour
• 0,5 a teaspoon of baking powder
• 2 tablespoons of water
• 2 tablespoons of ground walnut

For the vanilla cream:

• 4 egg yolks
• 5 dl-s of milk (2 cups)
• 75 grams of flour
• 120 grams of sugar
• 0,5 vanilla stick
• 2 teaspoons of gelatine

For the syrup:

• 200 grams of sugar
• 3 dl water
• 1 dl rum
• 0,25 of a vanilla stick
• the zest of 1 lemon
• the zest of 1 orange

For the chocolate cream:

• 150 grams of dark chocolate
• 0,5 a dl of rum
• 50 grams of sugar
• 50 grams of cocoa powder
• 1 dl water

For the filling:

• 120 grams of walnut
• 50 grams of apricot jam
• 80 grams of raisin
• 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder (to sprinkle)

For the whipped cream:

• 4 dl of whipping cream

Directions:

Firstly, you need to bake the three sponges. Separate the eggs and whip up the egg whites with a tablespoon of sugar. Combine the egg yolks, sugar, flour, baking powder, water and mix them well. When making the cocoa and walnut sponge, add in the cocoa powder and ground walnut along with the other ingredients. Slowly start adding the egg whites and gently mix them in. Spread the batters into pans lined with baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes at 180 Celsius degrees. They won’t rise too much and they have to be soft.

To make the vanilla cream, bring the milk to a boil with the seeds of the vanilla stick. In a bowl, mix together the egg yolks, the sugar and the flour until combined well. Then, start adding in the milk (which you have allowed to cool down) while constantly stirring. Cook the combined mixture slowly until it becomes creamy. Mix the gelatine with half a dl of hot water and add it to the cream.