Gluten Free Sponge

I've been using this recipe for years...decades probably. I remember the original, cut off the side of a cornflour box and stashed in mum's recipe index. It's odd because I am sure it came from a box of Edmonds cornflour, and the Edmonds cookbook is one that every household in New Zealand posseses at least one well-loved and food-covered copy of, yet this recipe doesn't actually appear in there. Similar versions do, but not this one, and it's this one that I use, religiously, when I want to make a sponge.

The sponge is really simple, and can be used as a cake, obviously, but is also great for a trifle base, or any other recipe that requires a simple sponge.

The reason I made this recently was for a colleague's 30th birthday at work. I didn't have much time, and recently we've consumed a LOT of cake at work, so I needed something simple and light, so I settled on this.

• Heat your oven to 190C, Gas Mark 5.

• Line the base of 2 x 20cm tins with greaseproof paper (I use washable and re-usable bake-o-glide circles...or I did, until Binks creased them to smithereens when washing them!).

• Separate 3 large eggs, putting the whites in a large, clean bowl, and reserving the yolks.

• Beat the egg whites until peaks just fold over. Slowly add 1/2 C sugar. (125mls - not sure of weight).

• Beat until the mix is stiff and the sugar has dissolved.

• Add the reserved egg yolks and beat until well blended.

• Sift in to this mix, 1/2 C cornflour, 2 tsps gluten-free flour (I use Doves farm GF white flour mix) and 1tsp baking powder.

• Fold the flour gently into the egg mix with a metal spoon.

• Pour the mix evenly into the two tins and bake in the oven for 15-20 minutes.

A few additional sponge making hints:

• Have your eggs at room temperature.
• From the moment the dry ingredients are added until the time the sponge is in the oven, speed is essential.
• Fold dry ingredients in very gently using a metal spoon and an up, down and over movement - do not stir.
• Drop the tins from a short height onto the bench before putting them in the oven and after removing from the oven.
• Test whether the sponge is ready by pressing gently with your fingertip. If it springs back, it's cooked. The sponges will also shrink slightly from the sides when cooked.

I like to ice this sponge with a simple butter cream icing and good strawberry jam. If it's summer, it's delicious with fresh cream and strawberries. I just dust the top with icing sugar.

Enjoy!