Balcony treats

Jenni's famous sponge - the passionfruit butter version

I believe firmly in using the good china. While most people lock away their precious set of Royal Doulton, keeping it in glass cases or in dark cupboards for a special occasion that never seems to arrive, I’m all for using it, and gaining pleasure from it, in the here and now. It’s my philosophy on life – I don’t want to put off till tomorrow what I can enjoy today.

It’s the same with balconies. I’ve been focused on aesthetics in this blog, but what I love most about balconies is using them. As a teenager, I loved having breakfast in the corner of our wraparound verandah, with a stack of magazines by my side. In Sydney, I treasured the moments I had in the sun, with a pot of tea, an almond croissant and the papers, wedged between my washing and my plants.

I’ll admit, a big part of the attraction to this ritual is the food. It's a huge part of my life and in my mind, no balcony love-in would be complete without it. In the interest of enjoying the good stuff today, I'm kicking off Balcony Love's treats section with the classic sponge, an impressive cake that most of us would normally put in the too-hard basket. My amazing mother has mastered the art of sponge baking in the last few years and now whips one up practically every week. She’s kindly shared her foolproof, “award-winning” recipe, which also happens to be gluten-free, so if you’re feeling indulgent, why wait for an excuse? Declare this weekend a special occasion, make yourself a glorious sponge, and cherish that sweet spot in the sunshine.

Jenni’s failsafe sponge cake

3 large free-range eggs
½ cup caster sugar

½ cup plus 2 tbsp gluten free self-raising flour (Mum uses the Orgran brand)

300ml cream
1 tbsp icing sugar, plus extra for dusting

1 tsp vanilla essence

strawberry jam

• Pre-heat the oven to 175 degrees celsius. Grease two 20cm round cake tins and line with baking paper.

• Beat the eggs for 5 minutes, until thick and creamy. Gradually add the sugar, continuing to beat. Using a metal spoon, gently fold in the flour.

• Divide the mixture between the two tins and bake for 20-25 minutes until the cake has shrunk slightly from the edges and feels cooked when you give it a nudge. Allow to cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a rack, paper-side down, so the cake doesn’t stick.

• Whip the cream with 1 tbsp of icing sugar and the vanilla essence to form soft peaks. To assemble the sponge, spread one cake liberally with strawberry jam, then top with the whipped cream and the second cake. Dust the top with icing sugar and serve immediately.

Variations
• Add sliced organic strawberries between the jam and the cream layer.
• Grate the rind of 1 large lemon into the cake mix and fold a few spoonfuls of homemade lemon butter into the whipped cream.
• Fold homemade passionfruit butter into the whipped cream.

Who doesn't want a piece of that?