Ingredients

Sponge cakes

melted butter, to grease

4eggs, at room temperature

165 g( cup) caster sugar

2 tspnatural vanilla essence or extract

1lemon, zest finely grated

60 ml( cup) milk

40 gbutter

75 g( cup) self-raising flour, plus extra to dust

60 g( cup) cornflour

Apricot syrup

75 gapricot jam

2 tbspcaster sugar

80 ml( cup) strained fresh orange juice

1 tbspdark rum

Glaze

500 g(4 cups) pure icing sugar, sifted

100 mlstrained fresh lemon juice

pink food colouring, to tint

Instructions

Cooling time: 30 minutes

Standing time: 1 hour

To make the sponge layers, preheat oven to 180C (160C fan-forced). Brush two 16 cm x 26 cm
(base measurement) shallow cake tins with a little melted butter to lightly grease and line the base
and two long sides of each with one piece of non-stick baking paper.

Use an electric mixer with a whisk attachment on high speed to whisk the eggs and sugar in a large
bowl until the mixture is very thick and pale (this will take 5-8 minutes). Lift the whisk out of the
mixture and draw a figure-eight; if the trail stays on the surface long enough for you to finish
drawing, then the mixture is ready. If not, continue to whisk for a further minute and then test again.
Whisk in the vanilla and lemon zest.
Heat the milk and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat just until the butter melts. Remove
from the heat.
Sift the flour and cornflour together over the egg mixture. Immediately pour the warm milk mixture
down the side of the bowl and whisk again with the electric mixer briefly, until the flour mixture is
just incorporated (be careful not to overmix).

Divide the mixture evenly between the cake tins and gently tap the tins on the benchtop three times
to settle the mixture.

Bake for 12-15 minutes or until the cakes are a pale golden colour, spring back when lightly touched
in the centre and start pulling away from the sides of the tins. When the sponges are ready, remove
from the oven and stand for 2 minutes before turning onto a wire racks to cool completely.

Meanwhile, to make the apricot syrup, combine the apricot jam, sugar, orange juice and rum in a
small saucepan and stir over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Bring to a simmer, remove from
the heat and set aside for 30 minutes or until cooled to room temperature.

Use a 5 cm-round cutter to cut the sponge cakes into 16 rounds. Set aside. Cut the sponge off-cuts
into 1 cm pieces. Measure 1 cups of the diced sponge and place in a medium bowl. Pour the
apricot syrup over and stir gently to combine.

To assemble, place the round cutter over a sponge round. Add about 2 tablespoons of the apricot
sponge mixture and then cover with another round of sponge. Press down firmly and then remove
the pastry cutter. Transfer to a wire rack and repeat remaining sponge rounds and apricot sponge
mixture to make 8 cakes in total.

To make the glaze, place the icing sugar in a medium bowl and stir in the lemon juice to make a thick
pouring consistency. Add enough pink food colouring to tint to the desired colour. Spoon about 1
tablespoon of the glaze over a cake and allow it to drizzle down the sides. Use a small palette knife
that has been dipped in hot water and dried to spread the glaze thinly and evenly over the top and
sides to coat evenly. Repeat with the remaining cakes. Cover the remaining glaze with plastic wrap
and set aside. Set the cakes aside for 30 minutes or until the glaze sets. Repeat the glazing process
with about another tablespoon of glaze for each cake and spreading, if necessary, to make a second
coat. Set the cakes aside for 30 minutes or until the glaze sets.