Yogurt Sponge Cake With Fall Berry Compote Recipes

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and cream well. Add the eggs, vanilla, and salt and continue to mix well, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula occasionally. Fold in the sifted flour and pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch in the center, about 25 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack. Unmold and, using a serrated knife, slice the cake in half horizontally into 2 layers.
• To make Victoria Sponge Sandwiches: Dust your rolling pin and work surface with confectioners' sugar, and roll the marzipan into a disk the size of the cake. Using a knife, trim the marzipan to fit the circumference of the cake exactly. Spread the cut-sides of the cake layers with raspberry jam and sandwich the marzipan layer in between the jam-dressed cake layers. Press all the layers together; then cut into wedges, to serve. Dust the wedges liberally with confectioners' sugar.

Steps:

• Combine cranberries, sugar, and port in a large heavy saucepan. Bring mixture to a boil over high heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to medium low; add chopped orange and chopped ginger and simmer until cranberries burst and mixture thickens slightly, about 15 minutes. Mix in dried cherries and blueberries. Cool fall berry conserve completely. Stir in pecans and candied ginger. Can be prepared 3 to 5 days in advance and stored tightly covered in the refrigerator.

Steps:

• Make the cake: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Sift the cake flour, 3/4 cup superfine sugar and the salt onto a piece of parchment paper. Sift the flour mixture a second time onto another piece of parchment; set aside. Beat the egg whites in a large bowl with a mixer on medium-high speed until frothy, about 1 minute. Add the cream of tartar and continue beating until soft peaks form, about 4 more minutes. Gradually beat in the remaining 1 cup superfine sugar; increase the speed to high and beat until the egg whites are stiff and glossy, about 7 minutes. Beat in the vanilla, rosemary, thyme and lemon zest.
• Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the flour mixture, 1/4 cup at a time, until fully incorporated with no pockets of dry ingredients. Transfer the batter to an ungreased 10-inch angel food cake pan. Bake until golden and the cake springs back when pressed, 40 to 45 minutes. Invert the cake pan onto a small funnel or bottle neck and let cool completely, at least 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, make the compote: Combine the brown sugar, rum, 1/2 cup water and the rosemary and thyme sprigs in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat; simmer, stirring, until the sugar dissolves, about 2 minutes. Add the pineapple, return to a gentle simmer and cook until the pineapple is softened and the liquid is syrupy, about 10 minutes. Stir in the vanilla. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate, stirring occasionally, until cool, about 1 hour. Remove the herb sprigs.
• Loosen the edge of the cake with a knife, tap the sides of the pan against the counter and unmold the cake onto a platter. Slice and serve with the compote.