Ingredients

• 2 cups flour
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1¼ cups sugar
• 3 eggs, separated
• 125 grams butter, melted and cooled
• ½ cup milk
• 1 tablespoon pastis or rum
• 1 tablespoon vanilla essence
• grated rind one orange, optional

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 175ºC and set the rack just below half way. Butter and line a fluted cake tin, also called a charlotte tin, with baking paper and then grease the paper.
2. Into a bowl sift the flour, baking powder and 1 cup of the sugar and make a well in the centre. In a jug beat together the egg yolks, butter mil, pastis or rum, vanilla and orange rind if using. Pour the liquid ingredients into the dry and beat well to make a smooth batter – it will be thick but not so thick that you cannot beat with a wooden spoon.
3. In a clean bowl, whip the egg whites with the remaining sugar until glossy and thick. Stir into the batter. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 30 minutes, then lower the temperature to 160ºC and cook for a further 20 minutes or until a cake skewer inserted into the centre comes out clean.
5. Cool in the tin. Serve in chunky slices when cold.

Cooks Tips

- If you do not have a fluted cake tin, use a 18cm cake tin.