Holiday recipes Light and dreamy, fruity and creamy
A classic sponge cake with summer stonefruit, and quick and tasty sliders.
Sponge cake with vanillapoached apricots & mascarpone cream
Serves: 8-10
cup honey 1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise, seeds scraped out with the tip of a sharp knife
7-8 ripe apricots, halved, stones removed (substitute with apples or pears, or with canned apricots) 1 tablespoon flour 1 cup cornflour 11⁄2 teaspoons baking powder
teaspoon salt 4 eggs, separated
cup caster sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 300ml cream 200g mascarpone icing sugar to dust Put the honey, vanilla bean, seeds and 1 cup hot water in a saucepan and stir over a low heat until the honey has dissolved. Add the apricots and simmer gently for 5-10 minutes or until just tender. Remove the apricots and vanilla bean. Set aside. Boil the syrup on the stovetop over medium heat until reduced by half. Set aside to cool. Preheat oven to 190 degrees Celsius and line the bases of 2 x 20cm cake tins with baking paper (don’t butter the sides).
Sift the flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt together 3 times. Set aside.
Whisk the egg yolks and vanilla extract together until pale and tripled in volume. Set aside.
Whisk the egg whites to stiff peaks then add 2 tablespoons boiling water and whisk well again. Add the sugar, a tablespoon at a time, whisking well after each addition. Add the egg yolks to the egg white mixture and whisk well to combine.
Fold the sifted flour mixture into the egg white mixture, folding lightly and evenly to just combine.
Spoon the mixture carefully into the prepared tins, dividing it evenly (weigh them if you can). Tap the tins gently on the bench to remove any air bubbles then bake for 20 minutes or until well risen and starting to shrink away from the edges. Turn onto a wire rack to cool.
To serve the cake, whip the cream, mascarpone and 3 tablespoons of the poaching liquid to a firm peak. Place one cake on a serving plate and brush 2-3 tablespoons of poaching liquid over the top. Top with poached apricots and spoon the whipped cream mix on top.
Brush 2-3 tablespoons of the poaching liquid over the top of the remaining cake then carefully place upside down on the cream, pressing down gently to make sure it’s level. Dust liberally with icing sugar and serve.
To serve the cake, whip the cream, mascarpone and 3 tablespoons of the poaching liquid to a firm peak. Place one cake on a serving plate and brush 2-3 tablespoons of poaching liquid over the top. Top with poached apricots and spoon the whipped cream mix on top.
– Alice Arndell, Cuisine