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Citrus takes the cake

Indulge in the perfect cake for spring, and definitely serve it with lashings of whipped cream and citrus curd, says Nicola Galloway.

Nicola Galloway is an award-winning food writer and author of Homegrown Kitchen cookbook. homegrown-kitchen.co.nz

Out of the blue recently, my son asked to make a sponge cake. I had been having a similar craving, so we dug out Nana Ngaire’s recipe book and made (a variation of) the recipe she had prepared since the 1950s.

I hope you enjoy this version of the classic sponge. It does feel like the perfect cake for spring, especially with lashings of whipped cream and citrus curd.

I have halved the sugar from the original recipe, and used a combination of baking powder and baking soda (dissolved in hot milk), since cream of tartar is no longer a common pantry item. Included in the directions is my nana’s excellent tip to use a butter knife to gently fold the flour into the meringue. I think this is a game changer to keep all that air in the sponge.

Sponge cake with citrus curd and cream

Preparation time: 20 minutes Baking time: 15 minutes Serves 10

4 eggs, separated

1⁄2 cup (100g) sugar

1 cup (150g) plain flour, or gluten-free flour mix

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch of salt

3 tablespoons milk

1⁄2 teaspoon baking soda 150ml cream

4 tablespoons citrus curd (see next recipe)

Icing sugar for dusting

1. Preheat the oven to 190C (fan bake 170C). Grease and line 2 x 20cm round cake tins, or use a single cake tin halving the sponge for filling.

2. Place the egg whites into a stand mixer (or use electric beaters). Whisk until stiff peaks form. With the mixer going, gradually add the sugar and mix for another minute. Check the sugar is dissolved by rubbing a little meringue between your fingers, it should feel smooth not gritty. Whisk longer, if needed. Mix in the egg yolks, then remove the bowl from the mixer.

3. Place the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and use a whisk to combine and aerate (or sift together). Add the flour to the egg mixture and, using a butter knife, gently fold together using a very light lifting motion (nana’s exact words).

4. Heat the milk in a small saucepan, once steaming, remove from the heat and add the baking soda. Quickly pour this into the sponge batter and fold again with the knife, until just combined.

5. Evenly distribute the batter between the tins. Bake for 15 minutes, until golden and the top springs back when lightly pressed. Remove from tins and cool on a cake rack.

Once the cakes are cool, whip the cream and fold through 1 tablespoon citrus curd. Place a sponge cake onto a serving plate and spread with the remaining curd, then dollop over the cream. Place the second cake on top and dust with icing sugar.

6. Cut into wedges and serve. Best eaten the day it is made.

All the citrus curd

The citrus keeps on coming, and with another bag of lemons, limes and oranges dropped on my doorstep I knew I had to make citrus curd. This recipe reminds me of the ‘‘lemon honey’’ nana used to make, so it was an obvious filling for the sponge cake. Or, as I used to do at my nana’s breakfast table, spread thickly on toast. Use any combination of the suggested citrus, although I do find some tartness from either lemon or lime is essential.

Preparation time: 5 minutes Cooking time: 10 minutes Makes about 350g

100g butter

100ml fresh squeezed citrus juice – lemon, lime and/or orange

1⁄4 cup (50g) sugar

1 tablespoon honey

2 teaspoons cornflour, or tapioca flour 1 egg

2 egg yolks 1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over a low heat. Remove from the heat. Add the remaining ingredients and whisk well to combine. Return to the heat, and, using a wooden spoon, stir constantly over the heat for about 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens. Once the curd thickly coats the back of the spoon it is ready. Pour into a 400ml jar. Cool and store in the fridge, use within one month.

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2021-09-25T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-09-25T07:00:00.0000000Z

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