Sponge Cake with Fruit (Czech Bublanina)

Bublanina - also known as bubble cake - is a light sponge cake prepared with eggs, butter, sugar, flour, and a variety of different fruits such as cherries, strawberries, blueberries, apricots, and fragrant plums and pears. The sponge is occasionally lightly flavoured with vanilla or lemon zest, pairing perfectly with the delicate sponge and succulent fruits. It is typically consumed warm, and it is often dusted with a thin layer of powdered sugar before serving. Although it is not lavish and sophisticated, bublanina is one of the most famous desserts in the area. It is commonly prepared at home as an everyday dessert or a quick sweet treat, but the cake can also be found in traditional Czech bakeries.

2 cups all-purpose flour, unbleached
1 cup granulated sugar + 4 tsp. for sprinkling on fruit
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon, freshly grated (optional)
1 cup milk
2 eggs
2 Tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
 1 lb fruit (~ 3-4 cups 500 g)
oil or butter
flour

Garnish:
powdered sugar

Preheat the oven to 350°F (175°C/155°C fan, Gas Mark 3). Grease a 9x13" baking pan with oil or melted butter and dust it with flour, making sure you cover the sides as well.

Mix the Dry Ingredients:
In a large bowl, combine flour, granulated sugar, baking powder and cinnamon, if using.

Add the Wet Ingredients:
Add milk, eggs, oil, and pure vanilla extract. Mix until blended using an electric mixer, but do not overmix.

Pour the batter into the prepared baking pan and spread it evenly. Arrange the fruit on top. If necessary, cut the fruit in half. Finally, sprinkle granulated sugar on top and bake the bublanina for 45-50 minutes.

After the baking is done, leave bublanina in a warm oven for 15 minutes. Sprinkle with powdered sugar, cut into portions, and serve.

Makes 8 servings.

Cooking Notes:

Flour: Soft wheat flour is most commonly used for bublanina, although it may be replaced with all-purpose flour. As is the case with many other sponge cake recipes, it is advisable to sift the flour before mixing it with other ingredients, to help bublanina become light and spongy.

Eggs: There are two ways to incorporate eggs into the bublanina batter. One, the eggs may be used whole and simply mixed with other ingredients. Two, the eggs may be separated into egg yolks and egg whites. The latter are whipped with sugar into a firm snow and gently folded into the mixture to give it an airier texture.

Sugar: The bublanina batter is usually made with regular white granulated sugar, which can also be used to additionally sweeten the fruit before it is added to the batter. Powdered sugar, on the other hand, may be used for dusting the bublanina after it has been baked, but is sometimes also mixed with egg whites.

Baking Powder: This ingredient is typically added to the batter to ensure it rises properly during baking. Most recipes suggest using pre-packaged baking powder, which equals 12 grams.

Fat: The juiciness of bublanina is achieved by using either butter or vegetable oil. If you use butter, make sure it has softened before you add it to the batter.

Fruit: When it comes to fruit - anything goes. You can use either fresh, frozen, or canned fruit; stick with one kind or mix more of them. If you use cherries or sour cherries, remove the pit, while strawberries, plums, and apricots should be cut into smaller pieces. A great trick to prevent the fruit from falling to the bottom of the cake is to mix it with some flour or semolina before you add them to the batter.

Baking: Bublanina is usually baked in a rectangular or a round baking pan which should be greased with butter or oil and dusted with flour before pouring in the batter. Sometimes, the flour is replaced with breadcrumbs. The cake is baked in an oven preheated to 160-180°C for 40-50 minutes until the top gets a light golden hue.