I’ve been recieving request for Guyana sponge cake and decided to do a test run. I’ve made this in the past but it’s been so long it was like new to me again. I remembered my mom telling me a pound of sugar, a pound of butter and a pound of flour. Using that I did a little research and I came up with this recipe. Its basically a classic sponge cake recipe. I know I didn’t actually used a pound of flour or butter or sugar, I halfed the recipe because quite frankly that much cake is too much for my husband and myself to eat. I enjoyed this cake and so did he, but next time I think I will add a little milk to give it more moisture.
Guyana Sponge Cake
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
6 eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cream butter and sugar for 5 mins. Add eggs one at a time, making sure they are well incorporated before you add another egg. Slowly add flour and mix until well combined. Add vanilla extract and stir until combined. Pour in a floured 9 inch cake pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 mins. Cake should spring back when gently touched.
*Optional. To achieve this color combination I colored 1 cup of batter red and one cup green. I alternately dropped the red, green and uncolored batter into the cake pan. I then swirled the batters together with a knife.
At this time of year there is always a holiday party, cookie exchange or some sort of gathering that you may have to host or attend. This is a great appetizer that is the first to go and is very easy to make. You can make this ahead of time and store it in an air tight container until you are ready to serve. I grew up eating this but it was always done in long strips, hence the name cheese straw. My mom makes the best cheese straws, so it was only natural for me to use her recipe. A few years ago she started experimenting with different shapes and I absolutely love it! At valentine’s this can be cheesy hearts, or cheesy turkey and maple leaves at thanksgiving. Since christmas is fastly approaching I decided to make these in the shape of stars and snowflakes. This would be a wonderful and festive addiction to any holiday table.
Imagine a warm roaring fire, friends and family trimming the christmas tree and feasting on these nuts. They are delicious and addictive. I found the original recipe in Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook, but made some adjustments. This batch is flavored with cinnamon, but you can easily adjust the flavor by adding spices such as chili powder and paprika or orange zest. I will be making another batch and adding it to my cookies packages that I will be sending to loved ones this year.
