Mrs Lamb's Sponge Cake (Irish)

This is a wonderful sponge cake from Ballymaloe House, county Cork, Ireland. When I first tasted this wonderful spongecake I was blown away by the way its lightness contrasted with its crisp crust. Traditionally filled with whipped cream and fresh strawberries. In her original Ballymaloe Cookbook, Myrtle Allen recalls that when she was learning to cook, in the 1940s, she "destroyed so many precious ingredients in war time." But fortunately, she adds, the ingredients were from her own farm. On one occasion, she reveals, "I beat 16 eggs with their weight in sugar by hand for a whole day, in an effort to achieve the smooth mousse-like texture that I had been taught was the correct basis for a sponge cake. It never happened and the result was finally fed to the chickens. Good came out of this episode in the end, however, when a friend came to my rescue with a much more foolproof recipe." Here it is.

3 large eggs, separated
1 cup + 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar, divided
1 cup all-purpose flour, unbleached (100 g)
1 tsp. baking powder
2 cups heavy cream
¼ cup confectioners' sugar
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

Filling:
berries, caramelized apples, or a ⅓ cup of jam or marmalade

Garnish:
fresh fruit
whipped cream
confectioners' sugar

Preheat the oven to 375°F (190°C/170°C fan, Gas Mark 5). Butter and line two 8" (20 cm) cake tins with parchment paper, then flour lightly, tapping out any excess flour.

Using an electric whisk, beat the egg yolks with 1 cup sugar for 2 minutes at high speed. Add ¼ cup + 2 Tbsp. (75 mL) warm water, then continue whisking for about 10 minutes until really creamy, light and fluffy.

Put the flour and baking powder into a sieve, then gently sieve and fold into the egg mix in three batches.

Whisk the egg whites with the remaining 2 Tbsp. of sugar until they hold firm peaks, then fold them very gently into the egg and flour mixture. Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for 20 minutes.

Turn the cakes out immediately on to a wire rack, and flip them over again, before allowing them to cool completely before filling.

To Assemble the Cake:
Whip the cream with the icing sugar until it forms stiff peaks. Place one layer of the cake on a cake stand (peel off the parchment paper underneath) spread over half the cream, place the berries overtop, spread over the other half of the cream then place the second layer of cake on top, being sure the crustier side is on the top.

Sift over some icing sugar to decorate and serve immediately, or refrigerate for a few hours before serving.

Makes 6-8 servings.