With the holiday season over, I was preparing to take a short break from baking and get some blog planning and other bits and pieces done. The weekend after New Years however, I suddenly realised - one year since I began this blog was coming up in four days! This mini milestone completely took me by surprise. I had nothing planned, but knew a cake at least, was 100% necessary.
I decided to make a classic passionfruit sponge. I had looked through a few cookbooks and food magazines, trying to come up with something that was totally new and different. But I then thought, it was probably better to celebrate one year of my blog, with something that better represented what I have been doing for the past year. I don't tend to make cakes that have ingredient lists that span 3 pages, and need to be started two days in advance. As much as I appreciate eating things that have that much effort put into them, I am not always that keen to be the one putting the effort into making them!
I have made a couple of passionfruit sponges before, but neither have made it onto the blog. I was never completely happy with the texture and knew that the search for the best recipe wasn't over. I found this recipe in a issue of Country Style magazine, in a section of the magazine that focuses on heirloom recipes. This recipe was sent in by someone whose father discovered a love and talent for baking in his retirement, and now in his 90's is his families go-to baker.
The recipe was quite different to the others I had tried, and it turned out exactly how I wanted! The result was light and fluffy. And the bonus was, it wasn't difficult to make and took less than half an hour to cook. It will now be my go to sponge cake recipe!
Thanks to all of you who read this blog, follow and support me. I appreciate it very much! Here's to another year of blogging, taking photos and eating!
Ingredients:
Butter and plain flour, for greasing cake tins
4 eggs
1/2 cup caster sugar
1 cup cornflour
1 tbsp custard powder
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/2 tsp bicarbonate of soda
Ingredients for Icing and Filling:
1 1/2 cups icing sugar
3-4 passionfruit
1 cup of thickened cream
Method:
Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees Celsius. Use a little butter to grease two (20 cm) sandwich tins, then dust them with some flour. Line the base of each tin with baking paper.
Separate the eggs, and set the yolks aside. Place the whites into the bowl of an electric mixer and beat until they form stiff peaks. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture has become stiff and glossy. Add the yolks and beat until just combined. Sift in the dry ingredients, and gently fold into the egg mixture using a large metal spoon.
Divide the mixture between the two tins, and bake for 20 minutes. The cakes will be ready when they are golden in colour and spring back when touched lightly.
Line two cooling racks with baking paper. Remove cakes from their tins, and allow to cool on the prepared racks. Allow to cool completely before icing or filling the cake.
Sift the icing sugar into a bowl, and gradually mix in the passionfruit pulp until the icing is smooth. I used three small passionfruit. Let the icing stand for a few minutes to allow it to thicken.
Meanwhile, whip the cream and spread over one of the cakes (top side down). It is easiest to ice and fill the cake on the plate you will serve it on. Use the pulp of one passionfruit to drizzle over the cream. Top with the remaining sponge cake, and ice the cake with the icing.
This cake is best served immediately after it is assembled, however, it will keep in the fridge for a couple of days.
Original Recipe found in Country Style Magazine, November 2014 Issue, pp.76-77 (article: ’never too late’, recipe originally by Bill Bevan).
All baking, styling and photography for this post by Kathryn Vincent of Kulinary Adventures of Kath.