Somehow, despite a relatively agnostic upbringing, I have a lot of Jewish recipes as standbys in my collection. I don’t live in a particularly Jewish area, nor know any particularly active Jews. Maybe it’s the cunning economy ingredients that agree with me, using what there is to make outstanding hearty dishes. There’s so much love poured into them, which I particularly appreciate.

I had a load of hot chocolate left after this weekend, which was more custardy than saucey so I wanted some sponge to soak it up. I went towards a fatless batter to allow the custard to seep in. When dry the texture is reminiscent of a sponge finger, but it was just what I needed when warm.

Sponge cake:

3 eggs, separated

150g caster sugar

100g plain flour

Whisk the egg yolks with half the sugar until pale and creamy.

Whisk the egg whites with a pinch of salt until firm, then add the remaining sugar and continue whisking until you get something like a meringue.

Fold the egg mixtures together gently, then fold in the flour.

Pour into a 20cm springform cake tin and bake at 180C for 30 mins or until browned and slightly firm to the touch.