More dense than a sponge, but still soft and crumbly. Not dry, but not really moist. This is an adapted pound cake recipe that you can slice thinly and use as a gateau base, add dried fruit to for a fruit sponge, throw in citruses and polenta for something more summery, fill with spiced apple compote and drizzle with maple syrup or leave plain and whole, dregded with icing sugar.
- 200g butter
- 110g caster sugar
- 4 eggs
- 225g self-raising flour
- flavouring extract - whatever you want to add
- Preheat the oven to 175°C and grease or line a cake tin. I like to use a 30x10x7cm loaf tin. The mixture will be thick, so springforms are fine.
- Cream together the butter and sugar until light and fairly fluffy. It won't get very light yet - don't worry!
- Add the eggs one at a time and beat fully before adding the next. The odds are it will look like it's curdling.
- If it looks like the mixture is curdling, add a tbsp of flour and mix it in. Once all the eggs are in, sift in the flour.
- Mix until the flour is incorporated and then stop. You should have a fairly thick mix that can still drop from a wooden spoon if lightly provoked. Loosen with milk or tighten up with a bit more flour if you have to.
- Fold in whatever flavouring extract you choose.
- Pour into the tin, knock out any air bubbles, level and bake for around 45 minutes. Depending on the cake's thickness, it might need closer to an hour in a loaf tin. If using sandwich tins, check after about 35 minutes.
- Leave it to cool in the tin for at least 20 minutes, then turn onto a wire rack.
- If you're leaving it as is, dredge with icing sugar and serve warm. It's superb with raspberry jam.
- if icing or working further with the cake, leave it to cool completely before doing anything else.