Mom's Sponge Cake

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Use a stand or hand mixer to bowl to beat the egg whites until foamy; beat in half of the sugar two tablespoons at a time until soft, glossy peaks form. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, beat the egg yolks until thick and lemon colored, about 3 to 5 minutes. Gradually beat in remaining sugar, lemon or orange juice, vanilla or almond extract, and salt. Stir in the zest.

Sieve the flour over the whites. Add the yolk mixture and gently fold in with a spatula without deflating the batter. Scoop the batter into a 9 x 3 inch tube pan. Tap the pan on the counter to remove any air and settle the batter so it is even.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes or until a cake skewer inserted in the center of the cake comes out clean. Invert cake pan over the neck of abottle or if the pan has prongs, invert it on a cooling rack. Cool completely.

Loosen cake all around the inside of the pan and around the tube with a butter knife. Gently shake cake out. Set aside.

Enjoy this sponge cake plain, with a dusting of confectioners' sugar over the top, or coated with a thin glaze made with confectioners' sugar and lemon juice.

For a fancy occasion, follow these directions, using the ingredients above.

Whip the cream until almost stiff; add the sugar and 1 cup of the raspberries. Whip in.

Cut the cake into three layers.

Place one layer on a cake stand and spread 1/3 of the filling over the layer. Top with second layer and spread another 1/3 of the filling. Place the last layer on top and spread the top with the remaining whipped cream.

Garnish the top with the remaining raspberries and add mint leaves for decoration. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Use a serrated knife to cut the cake into wedges.

This recipe is featured on show 1808 - Happy Birthday.