Fruit and Nut Sponge.
Using a apple/pecan combo, this was a pretty staple dessert at the hotel when I arrived.

Then my sous-chef and I started experimenting with different fruit and nut combinations

and I am pretty pleased with the results.

(I must confess though I’m not a brilliant pastrychef, so most of the time I do the thinking and

the Sous does the baking, but this is one dessert that even I can make)

Combinations we use:

Pear and Almond

peach ands pecan

Pieapples and pecans

Black cherries and pistachio flakes

This is quite a large format recipe …..again.

The Scaled down version follows the recipe:
Cream until light and fluffy (big mixer, whisk attachment)  

  24 eggs  

  2.4kg sugar

Sift together and fold in

  1.2kg cake flour

  120ml baking powder
Pour batter into 3 #1 shallow bainmaries that have been heavily spray and cooked.

Arrange

   3x 900g tins of fruit

on the surface

Sprinkle with

   3 big handfuls nuts

Bake at 170C for about 45 minutes

Small volume –  1x#1/2 bain marie 

Cream until light and fluffy (5 l mixer, whisk attachment)

  4 eggs

  400g sugar

Sift together and fold in

  200g cake flour

  20ml baking powder
Pour batter into 1x #1/2 shallow bainmaries that has been heavily spray and cooked

.Arrange

   1x 450g tins of fruit

on the surface

Sprinkle with

   1/2 a handful nuts

Bake at 170C for about 45 minutes 

EnjoyKD