Who doesn’t love a good sponge? Artemis, the Editor of Australian Handyman, is a particular fan. Whenever a special occasion is celebrated at Handyman HQ, Arti always requests a sponge cake be served! The usual protocol is to buy a Coles sponge cake in addition to a second option so that the entire team (Arti) is content.
This gluten-free sponge cake is a far cry from the supermarket variety. From the cookbook, The Power Of Flour by Rowie Dillon (New Holland Publishers Australia), is made primarily with potato starch and is topped with strawberries.
It’s a great recipe to try if you are catering for people with allergies, or if you yourself are gluten-free.
My Victoria Sponge
Serves 8–10
Ingredients
250 g (81/2 oz) unsalted butter, softened
250 g (81/2 oz) super fine (castor) sugar
4 eggs
Zest of 1 lemon
250 g (81/2 oz) potato starch
1 tsp gluten-free baking powder
150 ml (5 oz) pouring cream
1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
150 g (5 oz) fresh strawberries, hulled
Confectioners’ (icing) sugar, for dusting
Step 1.
Preheat oven to 190oC (370oF). Grease and line one bundt tin 25cm x 9 cm (91/2 x 31/2in).
Step 2.
Use electric beaters to beat the butter and the sugar until very light and fluffy. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Add the lemon zest.
Step 3.
Sift together the potato starch and baking powder and gradually add to the creamed mixture. Pour the batter into the cake pan and bake for 20–25 minutes or until golden and risen and a skewer inserted into the center of a cake comes out clean.
Step 4.
Allow to cool on a wire rack then turn out to decorate.
Step 5.
Place the cream, vanilla beans and sugar in a mixing bowl and use electric beaters to beat on high speed until thick.
Step 6.
Place the cream on top of one of the cakes and spread just to the edges with a palette knife or spatula. Allow the cream to gradually fall down the cake, top with strawberries and dust with confectioners’ sugar.