Portuguese Sponge Cake

So it seems we are still on a cake kick here in the studio. Who am I to complain when the results are so delicious and rather easy to make? This cake comes from a recipe in the magazine Milkstreet… one of my new faves. The cake is light and has a few contrasting textures in it. The sponge itself, then a thin custard-like layer above, and topped with a crispy layer on top. There’s olive oil in the cake, and a little drizzle on top with additional sea salt give the cake a savoury undertone which balances the sweetness nicely.

A simple ingredient list belies a surprisingly sophisticated cake.

Once the eggs and yolks are blended until tripled in volume, add the dry ingredients then the olive oil. Do the final mixing with a rubber spatula.

Pour the light, fluid batter into the prepared pan.

It may be difficult, but wait until the cake cools completely. At least an hour.

Wait a little longer…

A little longer…

Finally! Remove the sides of the springform pan and use the parchment paper as a sling to move the cake to a cutting board.

Slice, add a drizzle of olive oil and some sea salt if you like. Fresh berries and whipped cream are also great accompaniments. Enjoy!