Ingredients
The following ingredients have 4 Servings
- 80 g corn flour (corn starch )
- 25 g fine white rice flour
- 25 g tapioca starch
- 15 g potato starch
- pinch fine sea salt
- 1 very scant tsp baking powder (gluten free)
- 1 scant tsp cream of tartar
- 8 large egg whites (UK large (totally free of yolk and not from a carton) US = extra large)
- 225 g caster sugar (aka superfine sugar)
- 2½ tsp vanilla extract
Instruction
- Preheat the oven to 170 C/325 F/Gas 3.
- Weigh and mix together the flours, salt, and baking powder. Set aside.
- In a clean, large bowl, whisk the egg whites with the cream of tartar (starting slow and gradually increasing the speed), until they form semi-stiff peaks. Don't over-whisk as the egg whites will become too dry. But you want them to be able to more or less hold their shape.
- Add about 3 tablespoons (45g) of the sugar to the bowl and whisk again until smooth and glossy.
- Sift about half the flour onto the egg white and sprinkle half the remaining sugar across the surface.
- Very lightly fold all the ingredients together to combine, before repeating the process to add the remaining flour, sugar and also the vanilla extract.
- Gently fold all the ingredients together until fully combined, being careful to maintain as much air as possible in the mix.
- Transfer the batter into the un-greased springform border cake tin (tube pan), gently smoothing the surface.
- Bake for 40 to 45 minutes, until the top starts to spring back when lightly pushed and a cake tester or knife inserted into the centre comes out clean. Be careful not to overcook, or the sponge will become dry.
- Remove from the oven and then immediately turn the whole tin upside-down (leaving the cake inside the tin), placing to cool completely, upside-down on a wire rack.
- When cold, run a sharp knife around the edge of the tin and the central tube, to release the cake.
- Turn the cake out onto a plate and remove the tin (tapping gently to help release if it doesn't come easily).
- Decorate as you wish.
