When I travel to Ireland, much of my time is spent visiting house-to-house with various cousins and friends. Actually, in Ireland, cousins are often referred to as “friends”. The Irish take great pride in hospitality and offer warm welcomes to their visitors. A fifteen minute visit often turns into a two to three hour mini-party with neighbors and other friends coming and going, the occasional party piece by a guest and sometimes culminate in a drop of poitÃn or whiskey. Needless to say, this is pretty useful on some of the more blustery and cold nights. I’ve been treated to some mighty tasty baked goods when visiting as well - scones, tea cakes, breads, biscuits – you name it.
On one of my more recent visits to my friend, Patricia, she offered me some of this sponge cake (hers had lemon curd and frosting). Patricia is an avid baker (a while back, she also shared her recipe with me for Northern Style Irish Wheaten Bread) and whenever I go to see her, she always pulls something delicious from a tin to serve. Not only am I treated to her wonderful company, but her backed goods are always gorgeous.
When I came home from my most recent trip, I decided to make the cake Patricia had shared. You can find the recipe for all-in-one sponge cake, by one of the UK’s great bakers, Delia Smith, here. You’ll want the recipe for the curd, too, which is here.
I used orange juice and rind in my cake and curd as I didn’t have lemons on hand…just as lovely. The sponge is light and flavorful – I encourage you to make this and share it with your visitors soon.
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