August 23, 2022 - National Sponge Cake Day | National Ride The Wind Day

Welcome to August 23rd, 2022 on the National Day Calendar. Today we celebrate challenging new heights in the kitchen and on the runway. One of the most difficult cakes for bakers to master is the sponge cake. And if you are intrigued by this challenge, here are a few tips to ensure your success. Start with sifting the cake flour which makes for a lighter batter. Cake flour is more finely milled and produces a finer crumb. For egg whites that whip to the highest heights use only the freshest eggs. And skip the fancy frostings as this cake tastes perfect with only a dusting of powdered sugar and a few berries. On National Sponge Cake Day, don’t be intimidated by this lofty queen of cakes. While the Wright Brothers took to the sky in 1903 with a combustion engine plane, it turns out that a human powered aircraft was much tougher to build. That’s why the Royal Aeronautical Society announced the Kremer Competition in 1959 with a prize of 50,000 pounds. The strict figure 8 course was tough to navigate and the prize was not awarded until August 23rd, 1977. That's when Paul MacCready’s Gossamer Condor 2 beat the Japanese Stork and a year’s worth of work paid off big! On National Ride the Wind Day visit the Smithsonian where the Gossamer Condor 2 is displayed next to the Wright Brothers Plane and the Apollo 11 moon capsule. I’m Anna Devere and I’m Marlo Anderson. Thanks for joining us as we Celebrate Every Day. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices