Fancy a little slice of late spring pleasure? Try this super orangey, nutty sponge… delish! 

We asked fine dining chef Richard Bramble, of Warwickshire-based private dining and waiter service Bramble Dining, for a nice, easy recipe to get your tastebuds tingling – and he produced this winner… Orange and Pistachio Sponge with Crème Anglaise. So, go on, get baking… you know you’ll love it!

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS 

For the sponge:

• 150g self-raising flour

• 150g caster sugar

• 150g margarine

• 3 medium free-range eggs

• ½ tsp vanilla paste

• ½tsp baking powder

• zest of 1 orange

• Small handful of shelled pistachios

For the Crème Anglaise:

• 500ml double cream

• 100ml full fat milk

• 150g caster sugar

• 6 egg yolks

• ½tsp vanilla paste

You will need a 30x20x4cm Swiss roll tin

METHOD 

To make the sponge:

Mix all of the sponge ingredients, apart from the pistachios, into a large mixing bowl and whisk until smooth. Pour into the lined baking tin and place into a cold oven. Bake at 160c for 25 to 30 minutes. Once golden and bouncy to touch, remove from the oven and place the tin on a cooking rack. Crush and chop the pistachios, sprinkle on top of the sponge.

To make the Creme Anglaise:

Place sugar, vanilla paste and egg yolks in a bowl, whisk together until they become pale and fluffy.

Add your double cream and milk into a saucepan on a low heat to heat through. Do not boil.

Pour the warm double cream and milk into the sugar and egg yolk mixture, steadily whisking the mixture as you pour. Pour the Creme Anglaise mixture into the saucepan and stir on a low heat until you reach your desired thickness. Be careful to not let it burn the bottom of the saucepan; the thicker the consistency the more likely this will happen.

Serve the sponge with your Creme Anglaise and, if you want to, add dehydrated rose petals or edible flowers for that show-stopping dessert!