Sponge Cake

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup of plain flour • 1/3 cup of self - raising flour • 1/3 cup of cornflour • ¼ teaspoon of salt • 4 eggs (room temperature) • 2/3 cup of caster sugar Makes 8 slices

• tablespoon of margarine • 3 tablespoons of jam • 1 cup (250mls) of cream • ¼ cup of icing sugar • 6 strawberries • 2 x 20cm round cake tins

Method

Pre-heat oven to 180°C. Grease 2 cake tins with margarine. Beat eggs and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer on high speed for 8-10 minutes. When the mixture is ready it will be lighter in colour and about 3 times bigger than it was. While continuing to beat using the electric mixer, gently and slowly sift the flour (plain, self raising and cornflour) and salt into the mixture. Gently pour half the mixture into each cake tin. Cook for 15-20 minutes (check after 15 minutes, if the middle of the cake springs back after touching it is ready). When cooked, turn the cakes out onto a wire cooling rack immediately. Clean off your beater and use it to whip the cream in a bowl until it can hold firm peaks. You may like to add a teaspoon of icing sugar while beating, to sweeten the cream. Once the cakes have completely cooled, spread the jam onto one side of one of the cakes, then spread a layer of whipped cream, then place the other cake on top. Sift some icing sugar over the top, then decorate with the remaining cream and (washed, chopped) strawberries.

“For the sponge cake I doubled the ingredients and process: delicious! We all loved it!”