Victoria Sponge Cake, also known as a 'Victoria Sandwich' is a quintessentially British treat. Whether you serve it as an accompaniment to a traditional afternoon tea or as a celebratory centrepiece, it really is a classic, and you should definitely try making it yourself because it's also very easy.
The Victoria Sponge, named after Queen Victoria, who was known to enjoy a slice with her afternoon tea, consists of two layers of light and fluffy sponge cake, sandwiched together with a generous spread of (traditionally) raspberry jam. Whipped cream and sometimes fresh fruit are also optional for the middle, if you fancy it.
Ingredients:
6oz Margarine
6oz Sugar
3 Eggs
6oz Self-Raising Flour
1/2 tsp Baking Powder
Butter / margarine for greasing
A little extra sugar for decorating
Jam of your choice
Some notes on measurements:
There are 28 grams in 1 ounce. Although imperials are less common these days, I have used ounces here because the 6/6/6/3 quantities are easy to remember... and because I quite like sticking to tradition on this kind of thing.
Centigrade is an old fashioned name for Celsius. 180° Celsius is 354° fahrenheit.
Tip: Free range eggs are highly recommended. The more orange your mixture is, the better your cake will be. In competitions, a bright yellowy-orange middle, owing to fresh, bright egg yolks, is always commended.
Equipment:
A mixing bowl
A spatula
An electric whisk
A sieve
2 x Round sandwich tins (20cm)
Greaseproof paper
A cooling rack
Baking Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius/Centigrade.
Cream together the margarine and the sugar until light and fluffy. I use an electric whisk for this.
Add the eggs and mix well.
Sieve and add the flour and baking powder. Mix well first with a spatula and then with an electric whisk. The mixture should be light and fluffy and full of air.
Grease 2 sandwich tins (I use butter, greaseproof paper, then butter again).
Divide the mixture between the two sandwich tins and spread the mixture to the edges. Be careful not to overwork the mixture at this stage because it will remove the air.
Cook for 20 minutes until an inserted knife comes out clean.
Allow to settle for 5 minutes before removing from the tins.
Sprinkle a little sugar onto one cake while it is still warm.
Allow to cool fully on a cooling rack.
Add jam to the non-sugar half of the cake. You can also add whipped cream and/or fresh fruit at this stage if you want.
Sandwich together the 2 cakes with the sugared part on top.
Enjoy!
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