For this recipe you need a good fruity olive oil and an intensely sweet white dessert wine. It's a moist and dense sponge that makes a wonderful change from the traditional lighter type. Try the syllabub alongside.

Ingredients

• 1 cup flour
• ½ tsp salt
• ½ tsp baking powder
• 5 egg yolks
• ¾ cup caster sugar
• ½ cup fruity virgin olive oil
• grated rind of one lemon and one orange
• 7 egg whites
• ½ tsp cream of tartar
• ½ cup sweet white dessert wine

Citrus Syllabub

• ½ cup sweet white dessert wine
• 1 tblsp dry sherry
• 2 tblsp Brandy
• ¼ cup caster sugar
• grated rind each one lemon and orange
• 1¼ cups cream
• ½ cup non-fat yoghurt (optional)
• lemon rind to garnish

Method

1. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together and set aside.
2. In a clean bowl beat the egg yolks with half the caster sugar until the mixture is quite pale and creamy. Beat in the oil and citrus rinds to make a thick smooth mixture.
3. In another scrupulously clean bowl with clean beaters beat the egg whites and cream of tartar until they form soft peaks. Gradually beat in the remaining caster sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is meringue-like.
4. Fold the egg yolks, egg whites, sifted flour and sweet white wine together. Pour the mixture into a well-greased and floured 24cm loose-bottomed round cake tin.
5. Bake at 180ºC for 20 minutes, then lower the heat to 160°C for a further 20 minutes. Place a buttered piece of paper, buttered side down on the cake and turn the oven off and allow the cake to cool down for a further 10 minutes. Cool on a cake rack.
6. Serve cut into wedges accompanied with large spoonfuls of Citrus Syllabub.

Citrus Syllabub

1. Put the wine, sherry, brandy, sugar and citrus rinds into a bowl and allow them to stand for about 30 minutes.
2. Whisk the chilled cream it becomes just frothy. Then slowly whisk in the alcohol and continue whisking until the mixture becomes thick and forms soft peaks. Stir in the yoghurt if using. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.