Buttermilk Sponge Recipe

A fluffy texture, with a homemade farm-style flavour; just perfect for a winter dessert.

PREP TIME: 15 minutes
COOKING TIME: 75 minutes
SERVES: 8

Recipe Ingredients

* 50g butter, soft
* 200ml castor sugar
* 5 X-Large eggs, separated
* 500 ml buttermilk (1 carton)
* 1 vanilla pod, split open lengthwise
* 60ml cake flour
* 1ml salt
* 250ml chilled long-life cream

Recipe Method

* Pre-heat oven to 160 ° C. Lightly grease a fairly shallow but large oven dish.

* Beat the butter and sugar together, then mix in the egg yolks and buttermilk thoroughly.

* Scrape the vanilla seeds from inside the pod, directly into the mixture, then gently blend in the flour and salt.

* Beat the cream and egg whites separately, until stiff peaks form. Lightly fold them both in evenly to the buttermilk mixture, ensuring a fluffy consistency is maintained.

* Pour this mixture into the prepared dish, and place in a larger surrounding dish with water poured in to reach at least halfway up the sides of the dessert oven dish.

* Bake for 1 – 1 ¼ hours.

* Serve immediately, with honey or warmed jam drizzled over.

Hints & Tips

Add strawberry essence to the mixture, if you will be serving strawberry jam as the topping
Add the unused vanilla pod outer to a jar of sugar, for it to impart a vanilla flavour to the sugar for your next baking session.

source – cooking365.co.za