Best ever sponge

 
                              Best Ever Sponge
 
 Recipe By     : 
 Serving Size  : 1    Preparation Time :0:00
 Categories    : Cakes                            Desserts
                 Low-Fat
 
   Amount  Measure       Ingredient -- Preparation Method
 --------  ------------  --------------------------------
                         -----2 EGG SPONGE-----
    2                    Eggs
      1/3  cup           Caster sugar
    2      tablespoons   Cornflour
    2      tablespoons   Plain flour
    2      tablespoons   Self-raising flour
                         -----3 EGG SPONGE-----
    3                    Eggs
      1/2  cup           Caster sugar
      1/4  cup           Cornflour
      1/4  cup           Plain flour
      1/4  cup           Self-raising flour
                         -----4 EGG SPONGE-----
    4                    Eggs
      2/3  cup           Caster sugar
      1/3  cup           Cornflour
      1/3  cup           Plain flour
      1/3  cup           Self-raising flour
 
 This is a favorite never-fail sponge recipe: it does not contain liquid or
butter, which makes it ideal for Swiss rolls.  It is simple to adapt to many
flavors and will work as a cake or a roll.
 Have eggs at room temperature.	Beat whole eggs in small bowl with electric
mixer until thick and creamy (the small bowl is necessary to give maximum
volume to eggs); beating time on a moderately high speed should be about 7
mins.  Add sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating after each addition
until sugar is dissolved.
 
   While eggs and sugar are beating, prepare pans by greasing evenly (see lift
 of pan sizes below); and sift dry ingredients together 3 times, to aerate and
 mix the flours.
 
   When sugar is dissolved, transfer mixture to larger basin; this makes it
 easier to fold the ingredients through the egg mixture *it is not necessary to
 transfer the 2 egg mixture to a larger basin).  Sift the flours over the egg
 mixture, use a spatula to lightly fold the flours through; heavy handling at
 this stage will give a flat, tough sponge.
 Spread mixture evenly into pan, bake in moderate oven for cooking time
specified below.  When cooked, sponge will have shrunk very slightly from side
of pan and top of sponge will feel springy when touched gently with fingertips.
 Turn sponge immediately onto wire rack to cool, then reverse sponge so that
wire rack does not mark the top.
 
  Cake Pans and Cooking Times:
 
   2 egg: Deep 20cm round cake pan or recess pan about 20 mins.	A deep pan is
 preferable rather than a sandwich pan as the sponge will be less crusty on top
 because the high sides protect the top during cooking.
 
   3 egg: 2 deep 17cm cake or sandwich pans about 15 mins, or 25cm x 30cm Swiss
 roll pan about 12 mins.
 
   4 egg: 2 deep 20cm round cake pans about 20 mins, or deep 23cm round cake pan
 about 40 mins.
 
  Variations:
 
   Citrus:  Beat in 2 teaspoons of your favorite grated citrus rind with the
 sugar.  Try lemon, mandarin, lime, orange or grapefruit.
 
  Nut:  Fold in 1/4 cup of any type of ground nuts with the flours.
 
  Chocolate:  Fold in 60g grated dark chocolate with the flours.
 
  Fill and ice sponges as desired.
 
  Keeping time: 2 days.
 
                    - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -