Take an ovenproof dish – mine is an oval about 12 inches by
8 inches – and grease it well with whatever fat you are using for the sponge [this
is additional to the amount to weigh out below] then pour the [thawed] fruit
into the bottom of the dish with any juices it has produced.
Weigh 2 eggs – or use them on the weight tray instead of
actual weights if you have a balance scale
Take the same weight of:
Flour [to which add 1 teaspoon of
baking powder, and about half a teaspoon of spice(s) to suit the fruit*]
Caster sugar
Fat – I use Bertolli, but
softened butter is good, too
Preheat oven to 180°C [375°F]
Cream the fat and sugar together and add the eggs one at a
time, beating them well in, and adding a tablespoon of flour after each egg to
prevent curdling. Then sieve in the rest of the flour and mix in well. If
necessary, add a splash or two of milk to get a nice soft mixture – not quite
as thin as pouring, but not as thick as whipped cream.
Spoon the sponge mixture over the fruit and smooth out.
Bake in oven for 30-35 minutes until top is golden brown.
Serve with crème fraîche or cream, or custard, according to
your preference.
Just to add [Tuesday evening] - we've had the last 2 helpings tonight - so it has done the two of us 4 days, which means this quantity produces 8 portions, and not stingy ones at that!
Just to add [Tuesday evening] - we've had the last 2 helpings tonight - so it has done the two of us 4 days, which means this quantity produces 8 portions, and not stingy ones at that!
*As I was using rhubarb, I put a little bit of ginger and mixed
spice in with the flour, but for apples you could use cloves or cinnamon, for
cherries cinnamon, or whatever you think goes best. It only needs a hint – I added
about a quarter of a teaspoon of each of the two I used
And very nice too. My grandmother used to do this with jam in the bottom. Caramel apples are good, too. And if your oven is as crap at sponges as mine has always been, you can do it in the microwave.
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