Victoria Sponge

When I look around me I see such amazing ladies, I see your blogs everyday, I check out new blogs and one thing is consistent each and everyone of you is amazing ,so committed,such passion, such amazing cooks such amazing photography and creativity I feel like a dwarf ,trust me I do. You people inspire me I have to be very honest here that I get extremely frustrated at times because there are things that you guys have done and I am not able to do, I do get worked up but then I keep looking and I keep learning from you so yes a “BIG THANK YOU” to all of you wonderful people.

Today i have made a very classic simple Victoria Sponge cake but yes i have also given two alternative ways of doing it. As all of us know The classic sponge cake was named after Queen Victoria, who enjoyed a slice of it with her tea. Traditionally it consists of two layers of cake with a raspberry jam and cream filling and dusted with icing sugar, but its seriously versatile recipe with lots of variations that you can try.

I really wish i could do a strawberry version too as i love them but we don’t get strawberries in summers so i had to settle for blueberries which are also yummy but then nothing to match the beauty and lusciousness of strawberries.

INGREDIENTS
175g butter,softened, plus extra for greasing
175g caster sugar
3 eggs
175g plain flour, plus extra for dusting
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp milk
Icing sugar for sprinkling

Preheat the oven to 180 degree centigrade, then butter and flour the sides of each 6 inch round tins and line the base with parchment paper.

In a large bowl cream the butter until soft, add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy. Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl for a few seconds, until just mixed, then gradually add them to the butter mixture beating all the time. Sift in the flour and baking powder, then add the milk and fold in gently to incorporate everything.

Divide the mixture between the two tins and make a slight hollow in the centre of each cake so that when it rises it doesn’t peak too much in the centre, making it difficult to sandwich together with the other half.

Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a thin knife inserted in the centre comes out clean and the cake is golden on the top and springy to touch.

Remove from the oven and allow the cakes to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then loosen around the edges of each cake using a small sharp knife and carefully remove from the tins and leave them on the wire rack to cool completely.

Once the cakes are cool place one cake upside down on a plate and spread over your raspberry jam and whipped cream, place the second cake on top, right side up, then sprinkle with icing sugar.

FOR MANGO AND MASCARPONE
I whisked 100g of mango curd into 150g of mascarpone and spread it over the first cake, then I spread over some whipped cream on it and on top of it put some very thinly sliced mango.I then place the second cake on top spread some whipped cream over it and top it up with chopped mangoes.

FOR THE FRESH FRUIT AND CREAM
Substitute the jam with 200g of fresh soft fruit, such as raspberries, blueberries {slightly mashed first } or sliced strawberries {which are my personal favourite}, adding these to the top of the whipped cream.

 

ENJOY………

slightly adapted from Rachel Allen