Perfect Sponge Cake

Ingredients

• Ingredients for sponge cake recipe
• 2 Eggs
• 3oz/75g Caster Sugar
• 3oz/75g Plain Flour

Filling & Top

• 1 Tbsp Powdered Sugar
• 1/4 tsp Vanilla Essence
• 300ml Fresh Double Cream

Strawberry Conserve/Jam

• Powdered Sugar (for dusting)

Directions

1. For fast results use an electric whisk, if you use a hand whisk instead this is fine - it will just take a lot longe
2. First crack the eggs into a large bowl, whisk them for a few seconds just lightly.
3. Add the caster sugar only and whisk until the cake mixture thickens and turns almost white in colour.
4. This will take 5-10 minutes using an electric whisk, do not try to cut corners and just give it a whisk for a minute or two.
5. You may also think that your mixture should be thicker but as long as the colour has gone almost white it should be just fine.
6. Take a sieve and gently add the flour.
7. Gently fold flour into the egg mixture until you can see it has all mixed together nicely.
8. To fold - take a spoon and very gently stir the spoon over and under the mixture rather than just stiring as normal - the reason is to keep all the air bubbles inside of the cake mixture.
9. Pour the sponge cake mixture into a greased and floured round tin.
10. Place into a hot oven at 180C/350F for approx 20-30 minutes (depending on your oven).
11. Do not open the oven door until you are checking it towards to end of being cooked.
12. To check if the sponge cake is ready you can lightly press on it with your finger and if it is bouncy it is ready.
13. Once cooked leave the cake in its tin to cool a little.
14. You can go around the edges with a knife to gently nudge it out, it should come out easily.
15. Take a large bread knife and gently slice the sponge cake in half.
16. If you cut into a warm cake it will crumble so make sure it has cooled.
17. Lay each half upside down- spread bottom half with a thin but coated layer of jam.
18. Whisk the fresh cream for a minute then add the table spoon of powdered sugar and vanilla essence - whisk until it is a thick whipped cream.
19. Spread the cream on top of the jam, do not spread cream right to the edge of your cake as when you slice the cake it will spread to the edges.
20. Dust with powdered sugar using a sieve.