Natalie Dick, South Australia finalist

The winner of our search for Australia's Sponge Cake Queen Natalie Dick shares her recipe

INGREDIENTS

2 heaped teaspoons of plain flour
1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda
1 level teaspoon cream of tartar
wheaten cornflour (I prefer Nurses Cornflour)
4 eggs, at room temperature
3/4 cup (165g) caster sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
FILLING AND TOPPING
300ml cream
1 tablespoon icing sugar
1/2 teaspoon vanilla essence
strawberry jam (home-made, if possible)

METHOD

1. Preheat oven to 190°C (170°C fan-forced). Grease (use canola oil spray) two 20cm round cake tins, ensuring you grease the sides of tin well so sponge rises neatly.
2. Put plain flour, bicarbonate of soda and cream of tartar in a 1 cup (250ml) measuring cup. Fill the remainder of the cup with cornflour.
3. Beat eggs and sugar on a high speed for 7 minutes. Add the vanilla and beat for 30 seconds to combine.
4. While eggs are beating, sift flour mixture three times onto greaseproof paper.
5. Turn mixer to lowest speed and gently add flour mixture and beat for 1 minute until smooth. Divide mixture between two well-greased 20cm round cake tins. Place in oven on centre shelf and bake for approximately 20 minutes or until sponge springs back when touched or sponge is coming away from side of tin.
6. Take sponges out of oven. Place baking paper on wire cake racks to cover. Turn sponges out from tins onto the wire racks. Allow sponges to cool completely.
7. FILLING AND TOPPING: Whip the cream, icing sugar and vanilla essence until you have a smooth whipped cream. Place one sponge cake on a serving plate. This is the base. Spoon strawberry jam on to the base sponge cake and smooth to the edges using an offset spatula. Spoon half of the whipped cream onto the strawberry jam and smooth to the edges, leaving about 1.5cm to allow for the cream to spread to the edges once the top is on. Place the second sponge on top of the cream on to the top of sponges and smooth to the edges using an offset spatula. Decorate with fresh strawberries or as desired.

NATALIE'S TIPS
1. Use eggs at room temperature.
2. When sponge mixture is placed into the cake tins, tap tins on kitchen bench to remove any large air bubbles - it eliminates big holes in sponge texture.
3. To make a chocolate sponge, remove 1 tablespoon of cornflour and add 2 tablespoons of cocoa powder to the 1 cup (250ml) of dry ingredients in Step 2.
4. Have children or grandchildren on hand to lick the beaters!