There are many simple dessert recipes out there that are perfect for this time of year, like a no-bake lemon cheesecake or a rhubarb and lemon pot. However, very few of them require three ingredients and less than 15 minutes to prep, like this recipe does from Kirbie’s Cravings. What’s more, it doesn’t contain any butter, oil or milk and doesn’t even need baking powder or baking soda. Plus, none of those ingredients is a cake mix or an ingredient that contains several ingredients.
In this recipe, the eggs are the key to creating the cake structure and letting the cake rise since there is no leavening agent. The cake was delicious for something so simple; it tasted similar to the sponge fingers you use to make a tiramisu. However, I did make one slight mistake when checking on the cake in the oven, which led to me overbaking the cake.
With most cakes, the tops tend to turn a beautiful golden brown colour; however, I didn’t realise that this is not the case with this type of cake. Instead, the top remains a light pale shade.
Unfortunately, the cake did end up on the drier side as I left it in the oven longer. So if you decide to whip up this cake, stick to baking it in the oven for 30 minutes maximum.
Ingredients
- Three large eggs, at room temperature
- 195g of granulated white sugar
- 128g of plain flour
Method
Start things off by preheating your oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas Mark 4 before lining an eight-inch springform pan with baking paper.
To make the sponge, in a large mixing bowl, add the eggs and sugar. Beat on highest speed with a wire whisk for about six minutes or until the mixture becomes very thick and turns a very pale (almost white) yellow. This can be done with any type of mixer. I used a hand mixer.
After, use a sieve to sift in one third of the flour. If you do not have a sieve, you can use your hands to sprinkle the flour in. The goal is to break up the flour clumps when the flour is added so that it is easy to fold the flour into the egg mixture without deflating too much air from the egg mixture.
Use a spatula to fold the flour into the egg mixture. Repeat with another third of the flour and then the final third.
Next, pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for around 30 minutes. The surface of the cake will be light beige and will have a solid crust over the cake.
Be careful with the top of the cake, as it is very delicate and prone to cracking, as demonstrated in the picture.
Let the cake cool completely before removing it from the tin. I just decorated my cake with icing sugar, but fresh fruit like strawberries and raspberries would be a great addition.
