sweet dreams

pink grapefruit sponge with strawberries and sesame frosting

Serves 10-12 Prep time 40 mins Cooking time 30 mins

“Given that the healing power of cake is widely proven to transcend many other forms of therapy, it could be argued that a sponge cake is the ultimate exhibition of nurture,” Nadine says. “To bake for someone or be baked for is a gift from the heart that we all crave.”

225g very soft unsalted butter, plus extra for greasing
225g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla bean paste
3 eggs, lightly beaten
200g (1¼ cups) self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
25g cornflour
1 scant tsp baking powder
50ml milk
finely grated zest of 2 pink grapefruit, plus extra to serve, and juice of ½ grapefruit
500g strawberries, hulled
2 tbsp caster sugar

SESAME FROSTING

400g cream cheese, softened
50g unsalted butter, softened
50g pure icing sugar, sifted
1 tbsp honey
1 tbsp hulled tahini

1 Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease two 22cm-diameter cake tins, line with baking paper, then grease paper and dust with flour. Beat butter, sugar and vanilla in an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment until pale and fluffy. Add egg, a little at a time and scraping down sides of bowl occasionally, until incorporated.

2 Combine flour, cornflour and baking powder and sift twice. With mixer on low, add flour mixture in three batches, alternating with milk, until just combined. Turn off mixer, scrape down sides of bowl and the paddle, then beat on high for 2 seconds to aerate batter. Add grapefruit zest and juice, then stir to combine, scraping the base of the bowl to grab any butter that hasn’t been incorporated. Divide batter between tins and smooth tops. Bake for 20 minutes, then reduce temperature to 140°C and bake until centre of cakes spring back when lightly pressed (5-10 minutes). Cool in tins before turning out.