Granadilla Cloud Cake

If you’re after a light, spongy, mouthwatering cake that will have you coming back for thirds, this is the recipe for you. It’s like biting into a cloud, if that were possible, which, lucky for you, it is, thanks to this recipe! It’s so simple to bake and such a subtle showstopper. I often top it with fresh whipped vanilla cream and fruit like strawberries or granadilla pulp.

INGREDIENTS – For the cake:

butter for greasing

140 g (1 cup) cake flour

7,5 ml (11⁄2 tsp) baking powder

1 pinch (1⁄4 tsp) salt

5 eggs at room temperature, separated

200 g (1 cup) white sugar, divided into 3⁄4 cup and 1⁄4 cup 

80 ml (1∕3 cup) fresh milk at room temperature

7,5 ml (11⁄2 tsp) vanilla essence

fresh strawberries or granadilla pulp to decorate

For the cream topping:

250 ml (1 cup) fresh cream

10 ml (2 tsp) icing sugar

5 ml (1 tsp) vanilla essence

DIRECTIONS:

1. Preheat the oven to 175 °C. Very lightly grease a rectangular cake tin or Pyrex dish. Do not overgrease, otherwise the sponge will pull away from the sides too quickly and shrink too much when it comes out of the oven. Also, add a piece of baking paper to the bottom.
2. To make the cake, add the flour, baking powder and salt to a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.
3. To the egg yolks, add 150 g (3⁄4 cup) sugar. Beat on high until light and fluffy.
4. Add the milk and vanilla essence and beat.
5. Add the flour mixture and beat on low speed until everything is just combined.
6. With clean beaters, beat the egg whites on high until soft peaks form. Add the remaining 50 g (1⁄4 cup) sugar and beat on high until stiff.
7. Using a spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the yolk mixture.
8. Pour into the dish and bake for about 35 minutes.
9. When you take the cake out of the oven, it will shrink a bit; don’t worry, that’s normal. Run a butter knife gently around the edges of the dish, then wait about half an hour for it to cool before turning it out onto a rack to cool completely.
10. To make the cream topping, beat the cream, icing sugar and vanilla essence together until medium-soft peaks form, about 6 minutes.
11. Dollop the whipped cream onto the cake and gently spread it out with a palette knife. Arrange sliced strawberries on top or drizzle with granadilla.