This is the easiest sponge cake to make ever, but it tastes divine. I have made this both as a dessert and a cake and it always goes down a storm.
Serves 8
Ingredients
For a 20cm (8 inch) cake:
- 175g self raising flour
- 1 rounded tsp baking powder
- 3 large eggs
- 175g soft butter
- 175g caster sugar
- ½ tsp vanilla extract
- sifted icing sugar for dusting
For the filling:
- 6 passion fruit
- 250g mascarpone cheese
- 200ml fromage frais
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
You will need two 20cm sponge tins, lightly greased and lined with baking parchment.
Method
- Sieve the flour and baking powder into a bowl.
- Add the other ingredients for the sponge and whisk with a hand-held electric whisk or food mixer until everything is smooth and blended. The mixture should drop off a spoon when you tap it against a bowl.
- Divide the mixture between two tins and place in the top oven for around 30-35 minutes. Adjust timings depending on how hot you keep your baking oven – this recipe assumes 190°. Cakes are done when they spring back when lightly touched with a finger.
- Remove from the oven and leave to cool for five minutes before turning out on to a cooling rack. Carefully peel off the baking parchment.
- Now make the filling. Cut each passion fruit in half and scoop out the flesh, seeds and juice and place in a bowl.
- Whisk the mascarpone, fromage frais, sugar and vanilla essence together
- Fold in around two thirds of the passion fruit into the mascarpone mixture
- Place a sponge onto a cake stand or plate. Spread on half the filling followed by the remaining third of passion fruit. Then spread the remaining filling over the passion fruit.
- Place the remaining sponge cake on top and press gently until the filling oozes slightly from the edges.
- Dust with sifted icing sugar. Serve.