Vintage Recipe--Syrup Sponge Cake

To make Syrup Sponge Cake:

1 cup sifted cake flour

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 cup water
6 eggs, separated
1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  Sift together flour, salt and cream of tartar.  Combine sugar and water in a saucepan and stir over low heat until sugar dissolves. Cover; boil 2 minutes. Remove cover; boil without stirring to 230 degrees on a candy thermometer, or until a little syrup forms a very soft ball when dropped into cold water. Whip egg whites until stiff but not dry. Pour syrup in a very thin stream on egg whites beating constantly. Continue to beat until cool.

Beat egg yolks until thick and lemon colored; fold into egg whites until thoroughly blended. Add vanilla.  Sift a small amount of the flour mixture at a time over egg mixture; fold in carefully. Continue until all flour has been added. Turn into an ungreased 10 inch tube pan. Bake 1 hour or until the top springs back when lightly touched with fingertip.  Invert pan; let cake hang until cold. Loosen from sides and tube with a spatula. Frost, if desired with your favorite frosting or sprinkle with powdered sugar.  Makes 1 cake.

Pastel Plum Frosting: Combine 1/3 cup plum jelly, 1 egg white and a few grains of salt in the top of the double boiler. Whip with a mixer until mixed. Set over boiling water and beat constantly for 3 minutes or until frosting stands in peaks. Cool. Spread on cake.  (Any tart jelly such as, grape or currant can be used.)