This light as a feather sponge comes from my mother's trusty Country Women's Association (of Tasmania) Fundraiser Cookbook, circa 1950's. It is delicious if jammed with your favourite cream and ginger marmalade, failing this use a bitter orange.

Ingredients

• 3 eggs
• ½ cup caster sugar
• ¾ cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon cocoa
• 1 tablespoon golden syrup
• 1 tablespoon hot water

Filling

• whipped cream, creme fraiche or mascarpone
• ginger marmalade

Method

1. In a warm clean bowl, beat the eggs and sugar until very thick and the mixture will hold a figure 8 (see Cook's Tips).
2. Sift the flour, baking powder, ground ginger and cocoa together. Fold gently into the beaten egg mixture using a slotted spoon. Make sure it is completely dispersed. Stir the golden syrup in 1 tablespoon boiling water. Fold into the sponge, once all the flour ahs been incorporated, turn into 2 well-greased and floured 18-20cm sandwich tins.
3. Bake at 180ºC for 20-25 minutes or until golden and well rises, and the sponge comes away from the sides of the cake tins.
4. Remove from the oven and quickly run a clean knife or a thin spatula around the edge of the cake tin to loosen the cake and turn out onto a cake rack to cool. When cold, sandwich with whipped cream, creme fraiche or mascarpone and ginger marmalade. Dust the top with sifted icing sugar before serving.

Cooks Tips

- To test whether the eggs and sugar are beaten well enough, lift the beaters from the bowl and draw a figure 8 with the mixture falling from the beater. This figure should hold on top of the mixture until the "8" is completely formed. - Sandwich tins are metal shallow-sided round tins. Usually 18-20cm wide, without loose-bottoms.