Ingredients

Method

• 200 g caster sugar
• ½ cup water
• 2 T sherry vinegar
• 1 T vanilla extract
• 75 g butter
• 3 free-range eggs, separated
• 80 g apricot jam
• 1 lemon, zested
• 100 g self-raising flour, sifted
• cream, for serving

Method

Ingredients

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C and grease a 20 cm cake tin.

2. Simmer half the sugar and the water over a medium heat for 8 minutes, then allow to cool. Stir in the vinegar and vanilla.

3. Cream the butter and remaining sugar until pale and  fully, then add the egg yolks and beat until fully incorporated. Fold in the apricot jam, lemon zest, sugar mixture and flour.

4. In a separate bowl, beat the egg whites until stiff peaks form, then gently fold the egg whites into the batter.

5. Pour the batter into the tin and bake in a water bath for 40 minutes. Serve warm with cream.

Cook's note: The combination of vinegar and baking powder allows the carbon dioxide to expand, giving the cake a lighter texture. This is the case for all recipes that include vinegar. I often add a teaspoon of vinegar to bread dough to help develop a crispy crust.

Discover more warm pudding recipes here.

Photograph: Myburgh Du Plessis

Food assistants: Bianca Strydom, Keletso Motau & Mogau Seshoene