Best Sponge Ever

I make an OK sponge but my friend Jenny makes the best and lightest sponges ever. Over the years of our friendship I have consumed many pieces and been a lucky recipient of both filled and unfilled for my freezer.

Jenny favours the cream topping with chopped walnuts, I like them all, although, passionfruit is my absolute favourite or maybe a gingerfluff. I usually put jam and cream in the middle and dust with icing sugar.

This is how Jenny makes a sponge

Here is her recipe, in her book it is called mother in laws sponge. Jenny's motherin law Marg is a lovely lady and a really good sponge maker as well.

The first step is to get everything ready including the tins and preheating the oven.







Jenny uses deep tins, greased and lined






Sift dry ingredients, four times

Eggs and sugar into the bowl.













Beat until really thick, this took approximately ten minutes.

Jenny's old Sunbeam mixer came from my mother in law. Jenny just happened to say that her mixer had broken, I offered her the Sunbeam, it was in a cupboard not being used and many years later, is still going strong. I love the combined mother in law involvement.

Fold in half the sifted dry ingredients












and then the rest

Pour the mixture into the tins, bake in a preheated oven until golden brown, approximately 12 -15 minutes.


Jenny, the sponge queen, checking that the mixture is evenly distributed.

When cooked, remove from the the oven, turn out onto a rack covered with a teatowel, peel the paper away and turn sponge over.











Allow sponges to completely cool. Note the teatowel - good choice  for this time of the year.

When completely cool fill with cream and refrigerate.

And this is mine, still not quite as good as Jenny's.

Jenny's / Mother In Law's Sponge

Ingredients
4 eggs
3/4 cup caster sugar

3/4 cup cornflour
1 tablespoon custard powder
1 teaspoon cream of tartar
1/2 teaspoon bi carbonate of soda

Method
Grease and line two 8 inch cake tins

Preheat oven 190 deg C if fan foreced, 200 deg C if not fan forced.

Sift cornflour, custard powder, cream of tartar and bicarb soda four times.

Place eggs and sugar in a warm bowl and beat together, at least ten minutes.

Fold sifted dry ingredients into beaten egg mixture, in two batches.

Pour into prepared tins and bake, approximately 12  to 15 minutes or slightle longer if necessary. the sponges should be well risen, golden brown and just starting to shrink away from the edges of the tin.

Turn out onto a cake rack covered with a tea towel, remove paper, turn over and allow to cool completely.