I've been reading a fascinating book recently called "Ratios: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking". It's all about the science behind cooking; that what makes a popover different from a muffin or different from a crepe is just the ratio of flour to fat to sugar to eggs, etc. One of the things I've learned is that a basic sponge cake is not all that different from a pound cake. The ratios are the same (both are equal parts flour, fat, sugar and egg) but the difference lies in the order in which the ingredients are mixed. A pound cake starts by creaming together the eggs and butter while a sponge cake starts by beating the eggs and sugar. These methods give a sponge cake its light, airy texture and a pound cake its denser, richer texture.
Broiler cake is a sponge cake. You start by beating the sugar into the eggs. This creates millions of tiny air bubbles in the batter which expand in the oven, making your cake rise impressively and leaving it full of tiny air pockets, like a sponge. However, my mom always called it a hot milk cake, due to scalding the milk before adding it.
What makes this cake so special, beyond the delicious sponge, is the topping. You can use coconut or crushed pineapple, or nuts if you wish. Mixed together with butter, brown sugar and cream, the topping is spread over the hot, just-out-of-the-oven cake and then stuck under the broiler for a few, short minutes. The intense heat of the broiler causes the topping to boil, melting the sugars to create a carmelized crust that is brittle on top, but soft underneath, and punctuated throughout with coconut.
The effect is wonderful. A sweet, moist cake that is light and airy, covered over in a richly, decadent topping of carmelized coconut. And it's easy to make, to boot. A perfect cake to wow your friends or family, or to just have a piece all to yourself while the kids are napping!
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