sponge cake

Anneka Manning’s passionfruit sponge sandwiches two whisked-egg cake layers with passionfruit cream and tops them with passionfruit icing. Her own account of sponge cakes places this recipe among the variations built around whisking air into eggs.

Whole eggs are whisked frothy, then caster sugar is added gradually until the mixture is thick and pale. Manning checks the mixture by drawing a figure-eight trail with the whisk.

Self-raising flour and cornflour are sifted over the eggs, followed by warm milk and melted butter. The mixture is whisked briefly to combine and divided between the prepared tins.

The layers bake pale golden, spring back when lightly touched and cool completely. Cream is whipped to firm peaks and passionfruit pulp swirled through for the filling.

One layer receives the passionfruit cream before the second is placed on top. Icing made from icing sugar, passionfruit pulp and water is spread over the cake, with a short rest for it to set before slicing.