Bakery InnovationFrom Lucas
What a Fantastic Decision
Last night my daughter and I decided to bake a cake, and what a fantastic decision that turned out to be.
We settled on an Oreo cake, built on a Vienna sponge. It is a technique that aerates the batter by whisking eggs and sugar to a full, stable foam before the flour goes in, rather than leaning on raising agents to do the work. It takes longer and it is less forgiving, but the reward is a sponge with a fine, even crumb that stays light under the weight of a filling. For a layered cake that matters — a heavy sponge under cream is just dense.
The interesting part for me was the sponge itself. We used Duomalt from EDME Ingredients as a cocoa replacer, and it worked really well. Replacing cocoa in a chocolate sponge is not a small ask: you are asking a different ingredient to deliver colour, flavour and structure all at once, and most substitutions give away something obvious. This one held up.
For the cream we used a combination of single and double cream to keep things lighter. A cake like this can very easily tip into being too rich to finish, and the filling is where that battle is won or lost. Cutting the double with single keeps the mouthfeel light enough that you actually want a second slice.
Between each layer went little pieces of chocolate for that extra bit of indulgence, and the whole thing was finished with proper Oreos.
And for clean tins and a beautifully even cake crust, we used PR100 from DUBOR UK. As you can see from the pictures, the results speak for themselves — no lining, no tearing, a clean edge all the way round.
But most importantly, it was a brilliant evening baking together. I learned this trade standing next to my father in his bakery, so there is something quite good about being on the other side of that now.
I think we may have found a new favourite.
“I learned this trade standing next to my father. There is something quite good about being on the other side of that now.” — Lucas Fussnegger
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Vienna sponge?
A Vienna sponge is aerated by whisking eggs and sugar into a stable foam before folding in the flour, rather than relying on chemical raising agents. The result is a fine, light crumb that holds its structure under a filling.
What is a cocoa replacer?
A cocoa replacer is an ingredient used in place of some or all of the cocoa in a recipe, while aiming to deliver comparable colour and flavour in the finished product.
Why mix single and double cream in a cake filling?
Combining single with double cream produces a lighter filling than double cream alone. In a rich layered cake, that keeps the whole thing from becoming too heavy to enjoy.
Why use a release agent on cake tins?
A release agent gives a clean release without lining the tin, so the cake comes out whole with an even crust and a tidy edge — no torn sides and no paper to remove.
