THE SIMPLEST SPONGE
This sponge is basically bomb-proof. By using the 'hot milk' method (where you melt the butter in whole milk and then whip this into the egg and sugar mixture before folding into the flour) it just seems to work like a dream every time. And taste delicious! This is the sponge recipe I now use for lamingtons, slab cakes, and butterfly cakes and anytime I want a lovely, soft, springy cake to fill with cream, lather with chocolate and coconut, or top with lemon curd and berries. Here we have a simple sandwich situation with tangy raspberry jam (my last jar from last summer) and whipped cream. And it is, for want of a better word, a delight.
Ingredients
● 3 large eggs
● 175g (¾ cup) caster sugar
● 185ml (¾ cup) whole milk
● 100g unsalted butter
● 1 tsp vanilla paste
● 250g (1⅔ cups) plain flour
● 1½ tsp baking powder
● Good pinch of salt
For Serving
● Raspberry jam (or lemon curd or any other jam of your choice)
● 250ml (1 cup) thickened cream, whipped
Method
Preheat the oven to 175°C and grease and line a round cake tin. This time, I used a cute little 15cm loose-bottomed cake tin, filled it with half the cake batter, cooked it, then did a quick clean, re-greased it, and lined it again before cooking the second batch. You could also use a 20cm cake tin (although note that the cakes will be slightly thinner), or double the recipe to make two 24cm cakes.
Crack the eggs into the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with whisk attachment and whip for about 5 minutes or until pale and fluffy. Gradually add the caster sugar, a little at a time, until completely incorporated.
While the eggs are whisking, heat the milk and butter either in a microwave or on the stovetop until the butter has melted and the mixture is steaming (you want it hot but not boiling). Stir in the vanilla paste.
Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together in a small bowl. Gently fold the flour mixture into the egg mixture to keep as much air in as possible. Finally, gently fold in the hot milk mixture.
Divide the mixture between your cake tins (or pour half into one tin - see note below) and bake for about 25 minutes or until the cake is golden and springs back when lightly pressed in the centre.
Cool for 5 minutes in the tin, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Sandwich the layers together with raspberry jam and whipped cream.
Note: If using one cake tin, pour half the batter into the prepared tin and bake. Wash, grease and line the tin again, then pour in the remaining batter and bake.
