INGREDIENTS
4 eggs, yolks and whites separated (at room temperature)
¾ cup sugar (150g) (ordinary or caster sugar)
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 stick unsalted butter, melted (4oz / 125g / ½ cup)
¾ cup plain all purpose flour (4oz / 115g)
2 cups milk (lukewarm) (full fat or low fat) (500 ml / 1 pint)
To Serve (optional)
Icing sugar (powdered sugar), for dusting
Fresh strawberries
Whipped cream
Directions
1 Preheat oven to 325F/160C.
2 Butter a 8″ x 8″ / 20cm x 20cm square cake tin.
3 Beat egg whites with a mixer until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
4 Place the egg yolks and sugar in a bowl and beat until it turns pale yellow – about 1 minute.
5 Add the vanilla extract and butter and beat until well incorporated – about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
6 Add the flour and beat until just combined.
7 Pour the milk in slowly while beating, and beat until well combined (or if using a hand held mixer, add ¼ milk at a time, beating in between).
8 Use a spatula to fold in the egg whites in the batter, one third at a time, until just incorporated. You don’t want to knock the air out of the egg whites. Don’t worry if there are a few egg white lumps in the batter. The batter should be very thin, almost like a thick pouring cream.
9 Pour the batter into the prepared cake tin.
Baking Directions
1 Bake until the top is golden brown and the cake does not “jiggle” when you gently shake the tin – around 40 to 50 minutes. Check the cake at 30 minutes – if the top is already golden brown but the cake is not yet set (i.e. it jiggles), cover loosely with foil and return to the oven, 10 minutes at a time, until set.
2 Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a cooling rack.(Note 3) Cool completely before serving.
To Serve
1 Cut into squares – I cut it into 12 in the photo, but 9 is more realistic serving size portions.
2 Dust with icing sugar just before serving.
3 Serve with a side of whipped cream and strawberries, if using.
