Sponge Cake with Cherry Jello

Make the sponge cake. Separate the egg whites from the yolks. Beat the egg whites for about 3–4 minutes until you get a light, fluffy white foam.

Gradually add the sugar and continue beating for another minute.

Gradually add the egg yolks and continue beating for another minute.

Add the flour and vanilla powder, then gently fold the flour in with a spoon using a bottom-to-top motion.

Transfer the batter to a greased pan (I used a springform pan 22 cm in diameter) and spread it out a little with a spoon. Bake in an oven preheated to 200°C for 20 minutes.

Let the finished sponge cake cool on a wire rack.

Make the jello. Blend the thawed cherries in a blender.

Dissolve the gelatin in 100 ml of hot water (not boiling), stirring thoroughly until completely dissolved. Let it cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Use sour cream at room temperature (if it's cold, warm it up first). Add the sugar to the sour cream and beat for about 5 minutes until the sugar is dissolved.

Add the blended cherries and beat together.

Pour in the gelatin (the gelatin and the cherry–sour cream mixture should be roughly the same temperature so the gelatin doesn't seize up) and beat together.

Slice the sponge cake in half horizontally. Place the bottom half in a springform pan.

Spoon about 1/3 of the cherry–sour cream mixture over the sponge cake layer.

Cover with the second half of the sponge cake.

Pour the remaining cherry–sour cream mixture on top. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours to set.

Once set, carefully remove the springform pan (if it sticks to the sides, run a knife gently along the edge).

The sponge cake with cherry–sour cream jello, shown sliced.