SIMPLE COFFEE & CREAM SPONGE CAKE

SERVES 8–10

If you’d like to glam up the cake, sprinkle the top with chocolate-covered roasted coffee beans. Or if you would prefer to skip the coffee, ice the cake with vanilla icing and fill it with strawberries and cream.

butter, for greasing

190 g (6¾ oz) self-raising flour

50 g (1¾ oz) cornflour (cornstarch)

8 eggs, organic, if possible

2 egg whites

200 g (7 oz) caster (superfine) sugar, plus 4 tablespoons extra

2 teaspoons natural vanilla extract

½ teaspoon cream of tartar

whipped thin (pouring) cream, to serve

icing (confectioners’) sugar, to dust

COFFEE ICING

185 g (6½ oz/1½ cups) icing (confectioners’) sugar

80 ml (2½ fl oz/¹/₃ cup) strong espresso

20 g (¾ oz) butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F/Gas 6). Butter two 22 cm (8½ inch) round cake tins and line the bases with baking paper. Sift the flour and cornflour together.

Separate 6 of the eggs then put all the egg whites together in a bowl (you will have 8 egg whites in total). In a separate bowl, combine the remaining 2 whole eggs, 6 egg yolks, 200 g (7 oz) plus 2 tablespoons of the caster sugar and the vanilla and use an electric mixer to whisk for 8 minutes or until the mixture is thick and fluffy.

Whisk the egg whites until frothy. Add the cream of tartar and continueto whisk to stiff-peak stage, gradually adding the remaining 2 tablespoons of caster sugar.

Fold one-third of the whites into the yolk mixture. Sift the dry ingredients over the top of the yolks, spread the remaining whites over the top and fold to combine.

Divide the mixture between the tins. Place the cakes in the oven, reduce the temperature to 170°C (325°F/Gas 3) and bake for 30 minutes or until a skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean. Allow the cakes to cool for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire racks to cool completely.

For the coffee icing, beat together the icing sugar, espresso and melted butter until smooth and creamy.

Spread the whipped cream on one cake and top with the other cake. Spread the coffee icing on top and dust with icing sugar.