Fruit sponges make a simple and tasty winter fruit pudding. Vary the pudding with whatever fruit is in season. I have listed some favourite fruit combinations at the end of this recipe.

Ingredients

• 3-4 cups stewed fruit
• 1 cup flour
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 100 grams butter, softened
• ½ cup caster sugar
• 1 egg
• ½ cup milk

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC. Lightly grease a 6-8 cup capacity ovenproof dish.
2. Heat the fruit until very hot and place in the prepared dish. Keep in the preheated oven while making the sponge.
3. Sift the flour and baking powder together.
4. Beat the butter and sugar together until light and creamy.
5. Lightly beat the egg into the creamed mixture.
6. Fold the dry ingredients into the creamed mixture alternately with the milk. Spoon over the hot fruit.
7. Bake in the preheated oven for 30-35 minutes or until the sponge is well cooked and golden.
8. Sprinkle over sifted icing sugar. Serve hot with ice cream.

Cooks Tips

Variations: - Rhubarb and raspberry with the grated rind of 1 orange. - Pear or feijoas with 2 teaspoons of ginger added to the sponge. - Apple with 1-2 teaspoons of mixed spice added to the sponge. - Tamarillo and apple with 1 teaspoon of cinnamon added to the sponge. - Pear sweetened with honey and spiked with the grated rind 1-2 lemons. - Apple with the pulp of 2-3 passionfruit.