Springy steps: Tivoli Road Bakery’s passionfruit and raspberry ripple sponge cakes – recipe

Brown butter sponge cake

There are so many uses for a great sponge cake. Perfect for afternoon tea, sandwiched with cream and jam, a sponge is also the base for such classics as lamingtons, swiss rolls and kids’ birthday cakes. There’s a reason the Country Women’s Association takes such pride in their sponges!

Browning the butter before you mix gives this sponge a lovely nutty, buttery quality. All the lift in this cake comes from the eggs, and the trick is to whisk them for at least 10 minutes on medium-high speed to create enormous aeration. Resist the urge to crank the mixer up to top speed – the air will hold better if it’s built up over a longer period. Then gently sift the flour over the top and fold it in ever so carefully.

Really, there’s no season when a sponge cake isn’t appropriate – they’re so versatile. Michael grew up with a classic sponge with berries and cream, and to him it still tastes like home. Pippa’s request every birthday was a passionfruit sponge. We’ve included both recipe variations below.

Serves 8–10

60g unsalted butter
4 eggs, at room temperature
125g raw caster sugar
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or 1 tsp vanilla paste)
125g plain flour
¼ tsp fine sea salt

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan. Grease and line a 20cm round cake tin.

Put the butter in a small saucepan and melt it over a low heat. Leave it until it becomes foamy and starts to smell amazing, then set it aside to cool slightly. If you have a few burnt bits, strain them out and discard. If you prefer a less toasty flavour, you can just melt the butter and take it off the heat before it starts to brown.

Whisk the eggs, sugar and vanilla in a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment on medium-high speed for about 10 minutes. The mixture should triple in volume and become pale and creamy.

In a separate bowl, mix the flour and salt with your fingers.

Sift a third of the flour mixture over the egg mixture, then use a spatula to gently fold it in, ensuring you scrape the side and bottom of the bowl to get an even mix. Repeat with half the remaining flour mixture, and then the last of it. Once the flour is almost mixed through, pour the melted butter over the top of the mixture and fold it in until just combined.

Pour the mixture into the prepared baking tin and gently even out the top with the spatula. Put it on the top shelf of the oven.

Bake for 20 minutes before checking. Turn the cake and bake for another one to two minutes as required.

Leave the cake to cool in the tin for five minutes before turning it out on to a wire rack to cool completely.

Passionfruit sponge

(Pictured above)

6 passionfruit
80g icing sugar
200g double cream
20g caster sugar
Sponge cake, cooled (recipe above)

Slice the passionfruit in half and scoop the pulp and seeds into a bowl. You’re aiming for about 120g of pulp.

Sift the icing sugar into a bowl and add roughly one tablespoon of the passionfruit. Mix thoroughly to create the icing. You want the mixture to be thin enough to spread, but not so runny that it won’t set – it should be a runny custard consistency. Adjust by adding a little more passionfruit or icing sugar as required.

Using a stand mixer or electric beaters, whip the cream and caster sugar together to form soft peaks. When you lift the beater the cream should hold its shape, but be careful not to take it too far. Fold the remaining passionfruit into the cream.

Carefully cut the completely cooled cake in half horizontally. Place the bottom half on a plate and spoon the passionfruit cream on top. Use a palette knife to spread it evenly over the cake, right to the edges. Gently place the other half of the cake on top, then pour the icing over it. Use a clean knife to spread the icing all over the top, allowing a little to drizzle over the sides.

Raspberry ripple sponge

(Pictured above)

400g fresh raspberries
70g raw caster sugar
Grated zest and juice of 1 lemon
200g cream
200g creme fraiche or sour cream
1 vanilla bean, seeds scraped (or 1 teaspoon vanilla paste)
Sponge cake, cooled (recipe above)

Combine 300g of the raspberries with 50g of the sugar and the lemon zest and juice in a small saucepan. Place over a medium heat and bring to a boil, then reduce to low and simmer for about 15 minutes until slightly thickened. Set it aside to cool completely, then add the remaining raspberries and mix them through.

Using electric beaters or a stand mixer, whisk the cream and creme fraiche (or sour cream) with the remaining sugar and the vanilla until soft peaks form. Add two-thirds of the raspberry compote to the soft whipped cream and gently fold it through to create a ripple effect.

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Carefully cut the completely cooled sponge in half horizontally. Place the bottom half on a plate and top with half of the raspberry ripple cream. Use a palette knife to spread it evenly over the cake, leaving a 1cm border around the edge. Dollop a few spoonfuls of the remaining raspberry compote over the top of the cream, leaving half for the top.

Place the other half of the cake on top and gently press it down so the filling just reaches the edge. Spread the remaining raspberry ripple cream evenly over the top and use a palette knife to create a wavy pattern. Dollop the remaining raspberry compote on top and serve.

• This is an edited extract from Sweet Seasons by Michael and Pippa James, photography by Rochelle Eagle, available now through Hardie Grant (A$50)