Classic sponge cake

Serves:

Ingredients

Nut-free

4 eggs, at room temperature
2/3 cup caster sugar
1/3 cup plain flour
1/3 cup self-raising flour
1/3 cup corn flour
150mL pouring cream, whipped
half a  punnet strawberries, washed, topped and halved
Icing sugar, to dust

Method

Preheat oven to 180C. Butter one deep 22cm round pan or two deep 20cm cake pans and line with baking paper.

Use an electric stand mixer to beat the eggs on high speed until thick and creamy. This will take 7-8 minutes

With the mixer still going, add caster sugar one tablespoon at a time, beating until dissolved after each addition. When all sugar is dissolved, turn off mixer.

Sift flours three times to aerate and combine. Sift onto egg mixture. Use a spatula to gently fold flours into eggs. This is the critical bit, use a light hand and dont over mix.

Pour into prepared pan and spread mixture evenly. If using one cake pan, cook for about 30 minutes and if using two pans, cook for about 20 minutes. The sponge is cooked when it

has slightly come away from the sides and the top springs back when lightly touched. Turn out onto wire racks to cool.

If you have baked one cake, cut in half. Place base sponge on serving plate, spread with cream and sprinkle with strawberries. Place top sponge on and dust with icing sugar.

Notes:
If you are particular about the top of your cakes, turn over so the bases are on the racks and you wont get criss-crosses on the tops of your cakes.

To dust with icing, place about one teaspoon in a tea strainer or fine sieve, hold about 20cm above cake and tap the sides so the icing falls lightly on the cake.

Sponge cake is a lovely light cake for afternoon tea. The cakes can be prepared in the morning (or the night before if you are having morning tea) and sandwiched together with filling just before needed.

If you dont have strawberries or other berries in the house, use 1/3 cup of raspberry or strawberry jam.

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Serving Suggestions

Note