Victoria sponge cake

Victoria sponge cake

                       Victoria sponge cake

Hello everyone and sorry for the disappearing act but I fell victim to the most vicious flu I have ever had in my life. Loads of my students had it and I have got to admit I wasn’t overly sympathetic with them…until I got it myself, of course! It took me nearly 3 weeks to feel human again! Next year: vaccine here I come. But enough of my state of health. What I am blogging today is a classic of English baking: A Victoria sandwich cake, which is basically a plain sponge cake filled with buttercream and raspberry or strawberry jam.  Every tea room will have one on sale. It is that common. And yet I had never actually made one until just over a week ago when my husband, who is very partial to it, kindly requested one on his birthday. How could I refuse? Plus it is not a particularly difficult cake to make. The only “complication” is that you have to bake two cakes of the same diameter. I have got to say I really enjoyed it. In truth I prefer more simple types of cakes. The recipe is taken from Felicity Cloake’ s Guardian column .

INGREDIENTS

3 large eggs, weighed in their shells
The same weight of soft lightly salted butter, caster sugar and self-raising flour (in my case it came to 210 gr.)
1tsp baking powder
Generous pinch salt
2tbsp milk
5tbsp raspberry jam
Caster or icing sugar, to top
For the buttercream:
100g butter, softened
200g icing sugar (to be honest I thought it was a bit too sweet. I would just put 150 gr. next time)
50ml double cream

METHOD

Preheat the oven to 180C (350F/gas mark 4) and grease and base-line 2 x 21cm sandwich tins. Put the butter and sugar into a food mixer, or use a hand mixer to combine until light and really fluffy – this should take a good couple of minutes.

Scrape down the sides, beat the eggs together, then add them to the mixture a little at a time. Scrape the sides of the bowl down to make sure everything is mixed in properly.

Fold in the flour, baking powder and 1/2tsp salt, then add enough milk so that the mixture drops easily off a spoon, but does not run off. Divide evenly between the tins, smooth the top and put in the oven for 25-30 minutes until golden and well risen: a skewer inserted into the centre should come out clean.

Allow to cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then put, flat-side down, on a wire rack to cool completely. Meanwhile, make the buttercream by beating the butter until light and fluffy, then adding the sugar and cream and a pinch of salt. Beat together well, then set aside until the cake is cool.

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To assemble the cake, put the least favoured cake, whichever it is, on to a plate or stand, and spread generously with jam. Top with a layer of buttercream, then add the second cake, flat-side down. Dust the top with caster or icing sugar, and devour.

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