Classic Victoria Sponge Cake

Classic Victoria Sponge Cake

With all the fabulosity and excitement of New York Fashion Week, what better way to watch the collections than with a slice of a quintessentially British cake. You know that Jason Wu dress, that you will fantasise about for the rest of the season, it will look even better when accompanied by cake. Trust me. 

Ingredients:

Sponge:

175g Unsalted butter, softened

175g Caster sugar 

3 Medium free-range eggs, at room temperature

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

175g Self-raising flour

1 tablespoon milk, at room temperature

Filling:

140g Butter

280g Icing Sugar

1/2 teaspoon Vanilla Essence

1 teaspoon Milk 

4 rounded tablespoons Strawberry Jam

2 x 20.5cm round tins

 greased with butter and the bases lined with greaseproof paper

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4. Put the softened butter and sugar into a bowl and beat with an electric whisk or mixer until light and fluffy. You can use a wooden spoon if you do not have a mixer. 

2. Beat the eggs and vanilla with a fork until well mixed, then gradually add to the butter mixture, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour on to the mixture, add the milk and carefully fold in with a large metal spoon.

3. Divide the mixture between the 2 tins and spread evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown or when a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean. Run a round-bladed knife around the inside of the tins to loosen the sponges, then turn them out on to a wire rack and leave to cool completely. 

4. I chose to use a buttercream but you can also use double or whipped cream to fill the cake. For the buttercream: Mix together the butter, icing sugar and vanilla essence, I found that using a wooden spoon to mix gives a better result. Set one sponge upside down on on a serving plate and spread with the cream. Top with the jam. Gently place the second sponge, golden crust side uppermost, on top and gently but firmly press down to sandwich the cakes. Dust with icing sugar and serve <3

Lipstick & Marzipan *Tip*: For the buttercream, add more icing sugar and milk as you go, in order to have a fluffy and creamy consistency. As you don't want the cream to leak on the sides. Alternatively, you can use whipped cream and fresh raspberries/strawberries instead of the buttercream and jam. The alternative will need to be kept refrigerated. 

Recipe: The Great British Book of Baking - Adapted by myself.