Method :
Set the oven
to 190C, Mark 5. Put the flour and salt through a sieve twice. Rub a
little butter round the inside of 2 round cake tins, 18cm across and 3cm
deep. Cover the butter with a little flour. Remove any flour that does
not stick to the inside of the tins. Put the sugar through the sieve
into a bowl. Add the eggs. Put the bowl on top of a large saucepan of
hot water. Beat the mixture with a whisk or electric mixer for about 10
minutes. The mixture must be twice as big as when you started. It must
be like thick cream. Take the bowl out of the saucepan. Go on beating
the mixture until it is cold. This usually takes about 5 minutes. Use a
metal spoon and carefully stir in the flour. Be very gentle: keep as
much air as possible in the mixture. Put the sponge mixture into the 2
cake tins. Make the top of each cake flat with a palette knife. Bake the
cakes in the centre of the oven for about 15 minutes.
When the
sponge cakes are ready, they will be golden brown. To test them, put
your finger on the top of the cakes. If it leaves a mark, the cake is
not ready. Put it back in the oven for 5 minutes more. Test it again. Do
not use a skewer to test sponge cakes - they will go down in the middle
if you do. Take the sponge cakes out of the oven. Leave them in the cake
tins for 10 minutes. Then take them out of the cake tins and put them on
a wire rack. Leave them to get cold. To serve, put the jam on the top of
one cake. Make it smooth with the palette knife. Beat the cream in a
small bowl until it is thick. Then put the cream on top of the jam and
again make it smooth with the palette knife. Put the other cake on top.
Use a sieve and put a little caster sugar or icing sugar on the top.
Serve immediately. Do not keep the sponge cake after you have put the
cream in it. Without cream it will keep for 24 hours in an airtight tin.
Makes 6-8
slices
Beating is
the secret of a good sponge cake. You must beat the mixture very well.
If you have an electric mixer it will help a lot. You must get as much
air as possible into the mixture.
#Ads - Get the above cooking ingredients here at discounted price
|