• 7 eggs, at room temperature
• 175 g (6 oz/¾ cup) caster (superfine) sugar
• 60 g (2¼ oz) unsalted butter
• 170 g (6 oz) plain (all-purpose) flour
• 200 ml (7 fl oz) pouring (whipping) cream (35% fat), whipped
• 200 g (7 oz) raspberry jam
• icing (confectioners’) sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 190°C (375°F/Gas 5). Grease two 20 cm (8 inch) round sponge cake tins and line the base and side with baking paper — the paper should protrude about 2.5 cm (1 inch) above the tins.

Break the eggs into the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Add the sugar and mix on high speed for 4–5 minutes, or until nearly tripled in volume. While the eggs are whisking melt the butter and sift the flour 3 times.

Remove the bowl of whipped eggs from the electric mixer and using a hand-held whisk, fold through about half of the sifted flour — about six or seven deft strokes with the whisk should be enough. Add the rest of the flour and fold through quickly, trying not to knock too much air out of the mixture. Fold through the melted butter, again trying not to knock too much air out of the mixture.

Pour the mixture into the prepared tins. Bake for 25–30 minutes, or until the cake springs back when gently pressed with your finger. Each cake will also start to shrink away from the side of its tin when it is cooked. Remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes before turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, spread the cream over one of the cakes and top with jam, then sandwich the two cakes together and dust the top with icing sugar.