麻豆约拍

• 4 free-range eggs
• 225g/8oz caster sugar, plus a little extra for dusting the finished cake
• 225g/8oz self-raising flour
• 2tsp baking powder
• 225g/8oz baking spread, margarine or soft butter at room temperature, plus a little extra to grease the tins
• 25g Chocolate icing glaze

To serve

• good-quality strawberry or raspberry jam
• whipped double cream

Preparation method

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• Grease and line 2 x 20cm/8in sandwich tins: use a piece of baking or silicone paper to rub a little baking spread or butter around the inside of the tins until the sides and base are lightly coated. Line the bottom of the tins with a circle of baking or silicone paper (to do this, draw around the base of the tin onto the paper and cut out).
• Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl, then add the sugar, flour, baking powder and baking spread.
• Mix everything together until well combined. The easiest way to do this is with an electric hand mixer, but you can use a wooden spoon. Put a damp cloth under your bowl when you're mixing to stop it moving around. Be careful not to over-mix - as soon as everything is blended you should stop. The finished mixture should be of a soft 'dropping' consistency - it should fall off a spoon easily.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the tins: this doesn't need to be exact, but you can weigh the filled tins if you want to check. Use a spatula to remove all of the mixture from the bowl and gently smooth the surface of the cakes.
• Place the tins on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 25 minutes.
• The cakes are done when they're golden-brown and coming away from the edge of the tins. Press them gently to check - they should be springy to the touch. Remove them from the oven and set aside to cool in their tins for five minutes. Then run a palette or rounded butter knife around the inside edge of the tin and carefully turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack.
• Enjoy

銆赌