Treat Mum to something sweet! This week, food writer Libby Kimber brings you two Mother’s Day desserts from the cake queens of the CWA.
Never-fail sponge
- 4 eggs, separated
- Small pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
- 1 tsp pure vanilla essence
- 3/4 cup (90g) cornflour
- 1 large Tbsp custard powder
- 1 tsp cream of tartar
- ½ tsp bicarbonate of soda
Preheat oven to 175°C.
Beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form, then gradually beat in caster sugar. Beat well until very thick, stiff peaks form. Gently fold in egg yolks and vanilla.
Add twice-sifted dry ingredients, then gently fold them through the egg mixture until combined.
Turn evenly into two well-greased sandwich tins, 21cm x 6cm deep.
Bake in the middle of the oven for 20–25 minutes, or until the sides of the cake have shrunk a little from the side of the tins.
Turn out to cool, then slice through and fill with cream and jam, to make two individual layered cakes, or one big cake with four layers.
Ice or decorate the top as required; in the photo the cake is topped with strawberry halves and dusted with icing sugar.
Variation: For a chocolate sponge, add 2 tablespoons cocoa powder to dry ingredients.
Ginger fluff
- 4 eggs
- 3/4 (165g) white sugar
- Pinch of salt
- 1 dsp (12ml) golden syrup
- 1/2 cup (60g) cornflour
- 2 dsp (24ml) plain flour
- 2 tsp ground ginger
- 2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1 tsp cocoa powder
- 1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
- 1/2 tsp cream of tartar
- Whipped cream, to serve
- Chopped glacé ginger and icing sugar
Beat eggs, sugar and salt for 20 minutes, using an electric mixer. Add golden syrup.
Sift together twice the cornflour, flour, spices, cocoa, bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar. Fold into egg mixture.
Pour into two greased sandwich tins, 21cm x 6cm deep.
Bake in a moderate oven for 15–20 minutes. To test if a sponge is done, gently press the centre of the sponge with your finger. If an impression remains, the cake will require more cooking; when cooked, it will spring back when lightly pressed.
When taking a sponge out of the oven, run a knife around the edge immediately to free the cake, or it may collapse. Turn the cake out onto a wire cake rack covered with a tea towel.
Once cooled, place whipped cream between layers. Dust with icing sugar and top with glacé ginger, or ice as desired.
Images and text from From Our Kitchen to Yours by The Country Women’s Association of Victoria, photography by Cath Muscat, Murdoch Books, RRP $36.99.
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