FATLESS SPONGE CAKE

This is a useful recipe to have in your repertoire as it can be adapted in many ways to make Gateaux, sponge sandwich, sponge flans, individual flans etc. 

Fatless Sponge Cake

Ingredients

4 free range eggs, separated

4 tablespoons/60 ml cold water

7 oz/200g caster sugar

6 oz/ 175g self-raising flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Method

• Grease and line a baking tin with baking parchment
• Place the egg whites and cold water in a bowl and whisk until the whites are stiff (but not dry)
• Add the sugar and continue whisking for a further minute
• Add the egg yolks and fold in gently
• Finally, add the flour and baking powder and fold in gently (try not to break up the air bubbles too much)

• 

  Mixture in flan tins ready to cook

  Pour into the prepared tin/tins and bake at 160 C or Gas 3 for 45 minutes (depends on tin size and whether you use a cake tin or two sandwich tins)
• Press your finger tips lightly in the centre to test if it is cooked – if done, it should not leave a depression but should spring back where you have touched it.
  I use this recipe to make two sponge flans which can be filled with fruit and topped with jelly made with arrowroot.  Quick Jel is a quick and easy alternative.

The cooked flans cooling
(baking parchment in centre)



A favourite filling is double cream and Greek Yogurt whisked together with some raspberries folded in. Top with fresh raspberries (or defrosted frozen ones which have been sprinkled with icing sugar). Finish it off with a jelly coating as above.  Delicious.  This makes a nice dessert or teat-time treat. I also have a tin with six individual flan rings; these look lovely with fresh fruit salad topped with jel.

The cream and yogurt filling with
a few raspberries folded in

 






Top with fresh raspberries


  

Cover the raspberries with Jel

If making a sponge or gateau, cut into two or three layers horizontally and sandwich together with jam or soft fruits and whipped cream, or chocolate ganache. You may wish to put some chocolate ganache on the top as well.
The possibilities are endless.