Easy Cherry Sponge Cake

Another easy and quick recipe : 10 minutes to make, 20-25 minutes to bake. This cake contains almost no butter. I have used cherries but it can be made with any other fruit, whatever you have in your pantry. Because I didn’t use a lot of cherries (not everyone in the family is a big fan), I added a crème pâtissière (pastry cream) to be served on the side to add more moisture.

Ingredients
Sponge Cake
2 eggs
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/3 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons corn starch
½ teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons luke warm water
1 tablespoon dark rum
9 inch savarin mold (or a regular pan)
Butter for the pan
2 tablespoons icing sugar for decoration
½ Lb pitted cherries

Crème pâtissière (optional)
1-1/4 cup milk
1 egg
¼ cup sugar
2 tablespoons corn starch (or flour)
1 tablespoon cocoa
1-2 tablespoons of rum (or more)

Directions
Sponge Cake

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F;
2. In a large bowl (or a stand-up mixer) beat the eggs to obtain a pale yellow color.
3. Gradually add the sugar while still beating. Add the water and rum and mix few more seconds.
4. Mix the flour, starch and baking powder together then gradually add to the egg mixture while still beating. The batter is just a little bit thicker than the pancake batter.
5. Butter the mold and pour in the batter.
6. Add the fruits on top.
7. Bake at 400 degrees F (200 degrees C) for 5 minutes, then turn down the oven to 375F and continue cooking for another 20 minutes.
8. Poke the middle of the cake with a skewer to check if it’s done. If it comes out clean, the cake is ready.
9. Let it cool, transfer to a plate and dust the surface with sifted icing sugar.

Please have a piece!

Crème pâtissière
While the cake is cooking, heat the milk in the microwave. Whisk the egg and sugar in a saucepan until thick, then stir in the corn starch or flour. Pour the hot milk onto the egg while still whisking. Put the saucepan over medium heat and stir until it the cream thickens. Remove from the heat, add the rum and cover. Serve the cake warm or cold with the crème pâtissière on the side.