Jam Filled Spongecake Cupcakes

PERFECTLY LIGHT & SWEET SPONGECAKE CUPCAKES FILLED WITH JAM. SO VERY REMINISCENT OF A TASTYCAKE JELLY KRIMPET.

Disclosure: This blogger has partnered with Kauffman’s Fruit Farm to review and post about products that they receive for free. Original post appeared on 'Crafty Cooking Mama.'

I’ll be the first to admit that I do not find the sponge cake super exciting by itself. It has a sweet, light flavor and an interesting, but nice, spongy texture. Really though – one plain piece doesn’t leave me yearning for more. Yet it holds it’s own in the cake world.

Everyone has their purpose for sponge cakes. I make sponge cake cupcakes once or twice a year, for one reason and one reason only – to showcase a wonderful jam or jelly. Really, a good jam deserves so much more than just a smear on toast!

Each year I try to make a few batches of strawberry and raspberry jams. I’m sad to say that no jam making occurred this year. Usually I get a big score of local strawberries at the end of the season for super cheap. Not this year, people were strawberry crazed to the very end. Berries were too expensive this year to dump pounds of them into sugar for jam.

All is not lost, though. I still get to enjoy a variety of local artisan jams. After tasting this deliciously sweet & tart Raspberry Jam from Kauffman’s Fruit Farm, I knew I had to make some sponge cupcakes.

People are often intimated by baking a sponge cake – I assure you that it’s not at all difficult nor does it involve any trickery or wizardry. Here goes Sponge cake 101.

Cake flour. I never keep cake flour on hand, it’s just not necessary for the baking I do. Need a cup of cake flour? Easy. Measure out one cup of all purpose flour, remove two tablespoons of the flour and add two tablespoons of corn starch. Give it a few sifts and you got yourself cake flour.

Egg whites – beat until stiff peaks. There’s nothing to it. Start with a clean and dry bowl – glass or metal – no plastic. Make sure your beaters are clean and dry. Carefully separate the eggs – you want no trace of yolks in the whites. Beat the whites until they form stiff peaks. Confused as to what stiff peaks are? You’ll start beating and see the egg whites getting foamy and increasing in volume. Keep going. You’ll notice the egg whites will continue to increase in volume and start to look creamy and hold some shape. If you lift your mixers out, the whites should hold a stiff little peak without curling under. I’ve also heard of people flipping the bowl upside down to show that the whites are stiff, but we really don’t need to go that far.

The rest of it is easy baking. Combine the yolks with the sugar and vanilla. Mix it into the whites and gently fold in the flour. Spoon that thick fluffy batter into a cupcake pan and bake.

For the jam part. Just as easy. I use a piping bag and a Wilton #5 tip to inject the cupcake with jam. Instead of try to pump a teaspoon of jam into the center of the cupcake, I pop the tip into 4 – 5 different spots. This way you get a bit of jam in every bite – not just a blob of it in the center. You could go as far as measuring out jam for each cupcake, but I just estimate. I suggest to pipe a bit out into a bowl to get a feel for how the jam moves with what amount of pressure.

That’s it. You can be proper and make yourself a cup of tea and enjoy these Jam Filled Sponge cupcakes. Or just go ahead and devour one. Both ways will be delicious. Oh – this Jam Filled Sponge Cupcake is so very reminiscent of a Tastycake Jelly Krimpet. Yummmm :)

Thanks so much for stopping by! Happy Baking!

-Amanda-

Kauffman's Assorted Jams and Jellies

JAM FILLED SPONGECAKE CUPCAKES

Sponge cake cupcakes filled with jelly or jam. The grown up version of a Tastycake Jelly Krimpet.

Prep Time: 25 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins
Total Time: 40 mins
Serves: 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:
½ cup cake flour (or substitute ½ cup all purpose flour, minus 1 tablespoon flour and add 1 tablespoon cornstarch)
¼ teaspoon salt
3 eggs, separated
½ cup sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla extract
? cup - ½ cup jelly or jam
piping bag and Wilton #5 tip
powdered sugar for dusting (optional)

Instructions:
1. Preheat oven to 350°. Prep your cupcake/muffin pan with paper cups.
2. Sift cake flour and salt together and set aside. If using all purpose flour & cornstarch substitute (I always do) sift it together a few times. Set aside.
3. Separate the whites and the yolks into two separate mixing bowls.
4. In a clean and dry metal or glass mixing bowl, beat egg whites until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
5. In separate bowl, beat yolks. Slowly add sugar to yolks and beat until light and creamy.
6. Mix in vanilla.
7. Add the whites to the yolk mixture and gently blend.
8. Gently fold in flour mixture.
9. Spoon batter into the paper lined muffin cups, about ¾ full.
10. Bake for 10 - 15 minutes. Tops should just start to turn golden and be springs back when touched.
11. Let rest for a minute or two and transfer cupcakes to wire rack. Cool.

Add jam to piping bag. Instead of try to pump all the jam into the center of the cupcake, I pop the tip into 4 - 5 different spots. This way you get a bit of jam in every bite - not just a big blob of it in the center. You could go as far as measuring out jam for each cupcake, but I just estimate. I suggest to pipe a bit out into a bowl to get a feel for how the jam moves with what amount of pressure. Wipe any excess jam off tops of cupcakes and dust with powdered sugar, if desired.
Enjoy! Store cupcakes in a covered container.