Wiltshire White Cake

A pale sponge cake sandwiched with rum flavoured whipped cream.

• Ready In: 45 mins
• Yields: 1 cake

Ingredients

• 4  ounces butter
• 8  ounces caster sugar
• 1  lb self raising flour
• 1  pinch salt
• 1 1⁄2 pints milk
• 3  egg whites
• 1⁄2 teaspoon vanilla essence
• 1  lemon, zest of, finely grated
• 250  ml  double cream
• 3  drops rum
•  sifted icing sugar (to garnish)

Directions

1. Set oven to 350*F or Mark 4.
2. Lightly grease and line two 9-inch sandwich tins.
3. Cream the butter and sugar in a bowl.
4. Sift the flour and salt together and add, gradually, stirring between additions.
5. Gently stir in the milk, then add the vanilla or lemon zest. (I confess, I use both).
6. Whisk the egg whites until they stand up in peaks and fold into the mixture.
7. Divide the mixture between the two pans and bake for 20 to 30 minutes until springy to the touch.
8. Turn out onto a wire rack to cool.
9. Whip the cream until it holds its shape, then stir in the rum. (I also add a bit of sugar as I prefer it sweeter).
10. Sandwich the cakes together with the rum-flavoured cream and dust the top lightly with sifted icing sugar.