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Best Ever Sponge Cake

This is the sponge-cake recipe you need for light as air, delicious sponge just like grandmothers seem to know how to make by pure instinct. Paired here with vanilla cream and raspberry compote - it's a classic and easier than you may think.
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Servings: 10
Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 4 eggs, room temperature
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ¾ cups caster sugar
  • ½ cup corn flour
  • ½ cup custard powder (Nurse's Custard Powder recommended)
  • 1 tbsp self-raising flour
  • 1 tsp baking powder
Vanilla Cream
  • 300 g thickened cream
  • 2 tbsp caster sugar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
Raspberry Compote
  • ¼ cup caster sugar
  • 2 tbsp water
  • 300 g frozen raspberries, defrosted and drained

Method
 

Make the Sponge
  1. Preheat your oven to 180 C (160 C fan forced)
  2. Grease, line and flour 2 x 20cm round cake tins. To do this, get some paper towel and smear some softened butter onto it. Rub it all over the inside of the cake tin. Cut a circle of baking paper to fit the base of the tin, then throw in a couple of tablespoons of plain flour and shake it all around the tin so it adheres the butter to the sides. This will ensure it comes out perfectly, yet the sponge can still ‘grab onto’ the sides of the tin, helping it to rise.
  3. Put the eggs and vanilla into the bowl of an electric mixer. Make sure the bowl you are using is scrupulously dry. Any moisture will stop the eggs from whipping up to their absolute best. Beat with the whisk attachment, until foaming. This will only take a minute or so.
  4. Start adding the sugar, very gradually. I go a tablespoon at a time. If you dump it in all at once the eggs will deflate.
  5. Keep the mixer on, medium to high speed for 8 minutes in total. By this stage the mixture should look like it’s tripled in volume.
  6. Sift all the dry ingredients into a separate bowl so they are combined.
  7. Now sift half of the dry ingredients directly into the egg mixture. Using a spatula, fold it through gently. Then repeat with the second half. It is important to go gently here, the flours need to be incorporated but you need to ensure the mixture retains as much air as possible. I find going around the bowl and then up through the middle with the spatula is the best approach.
  8. Pour half the mixture into each tin. Gently tap the tins on your kitchen bench a couple of times. This will get rid of any air bubbles.
  9. Place in the oven and cook for 20 minutes, or until golden and cooked through. Remove from the oven and turn the cake tins upside down onto a clean tea-towel.  Leave for 5 minutes, then remove the cake tins and peel off the baking paper.
  10. After 5 more minutes, invert onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Make the Vanilla Cream
  1. Put all ingredients into a bowl of an electric mixer and beat until cream has soft peaks.
Make the Raspberry Compote
  1. Put the sugar and water in a medium sized saucepan and stir over a low heat until the sugar has dissolved.
  2. Increase the heat and bring to the boil, cook for 2 – 3 minutes or until thick and syrupy.
  3. Add the raspberries and stir to combine.
  4. Cook for another 5 minutes, or until thick.
  5. Cool completely before filling Sponge.
Assembly
  1. When cake is completely cool, spread with cooled raspberry compote and vanilla cream. Dust generously with icing sugar and serve.

Notes

 
Tip:
If you are making the cakes in advance, wrap in cling film and store in an airtight container for up to one day. These unfilled cakes also freeze really well.