Victoria Sponge has long been a classic cream cake but I’d forgotten how tasty it is! It’s a fairly easy cake to make. You’ll need two 22cm baking tins, or at least two tins the same size; they only need to be 2 or 3 cm deep. You can make this cake by hand or if you are feeling lazy just use the electric whisk for everything.

Here are the ingredients, but the best way to do this is the weigh the 3 eggs (with shells on) and use the same weight of sugar, butter and flour.

Ingredients:

  • 3 medium eggs
  • 180g Castor Sugar
  • 180g Self Raising flour
  • 180g Butter (very soft, or use the margarine which tastes like butter)
  • ¾ tsp Vanilla extract
  • 150ml Double Cream
  • 5 tbsp seedless raspberry jam
  • A little icing sugar to dust

Method

Butter the base and sides of the tins and use a baking paper circle in the base of each. Set the oven to gas mark 4/180C/350F.

In a large bowl cream the butter (or margarine) until it the consistency of thick cream. Use either an electric whisk or wooden spoon. A spatula is useful so that you can scrape the bowl down after each stage.

Add the sugar in 3 or 4 batches, creaming the mixture up each time.

Beat the eggs a little, mix in the vanilla extract and cream this into the mixture.

Sieve the flour into the mixture and cream this in too. If you haven’t already guessed then we’re making this cake using the ‘creaming’ method!

When the mixture is well mixed, spoon the ingredients evenly into the two tins and smooth over. Place in the middle of the oven and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes. We’re looking for a light golden brown so don’t let the edges burn as the cake should be soft to eat, not crunchy. The centre of the cake should bounce back when pressed gently.

When cooked, remove from the oven. The cake should be pulling away from the edges. Let the tins cool for a few minutes and then run a blunt (or plastic) knife around the edge so not to scratch the tins and transfer the cake carefully to a wire rack. Take care as the cake will break easily.

When cool, place one cake half upside down on a plate and spread the jam evenly over it, close to the edge.

Whisk up the double cream for a few minutes and it will thicken and form ribbons. When firm enough spread on top of the jam.  If you want to be really neat, pipe the cream in blobs.

Press on the top layer gently and dust lightly with icing sugar.

Lovely!