How to make a Victoria sponge cake

 HELPFUL ADVICE

• The preparation time, for this cake, is less than 30 minutes
• The cooking time is between 10 and 30 minutes.
• The jam filling can be other flavoured jam, not just strawberry, but then the cake will not be a traditional Victoria Sponge cake. However, the choice is yours. Blackcurrant or Raspberry Jam makes a tasty cake. So does Lemon Curd.
• You can substitute double cream with whipped cream, butter cream or even crem`e fraiche.
• Butter cream is tasty and easy to make. Try this recipe:-                  

Simply beat the butter until it has a nice creamy consistency. Add icing sugar in three separate lots.

Make sure that you beat well between each addition. Add a few drops of vanilla essence, for flavour  and mix thoroughly by stirring.

The amounts depend on your personal taste but try:-

85g of softened butter.
175g of sifted icing sugar.
A few drops vanilla essence.

Adjust the amounts to taste once you have checked the results. 

• Heat the oven to either 180C/350F/Gas Mark 4. 
• Line two 18cm or 7inch cake tins with baking parchment or greaseproof paper.

• Use a hand mixer to cream the butter and the sugar together, until its is pale and smooth. Alternatively use a fork.
• Beat in the eggs. 
• Sift the flour over the mixture and fold in using a large metal spoon. To fold, stir in the shape of a figure 8.
• When it is ready, the mixture should be of a dropping consistency. If it isn't, add a little milk, but not too much.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the two cake tins and gently spread out with a spatula or flat bladed knife. 
• Bake for 20-25 minutes. Check if the cake is ready by inserting a skewer and seeing if it comes out clean.

• Allow the cake to stand for 5 minutes, before turning it out on to a wire rack to cool. 
• When the cakes are cool sandwich them together with jam and cream.
• If preferred add some fresh fruit in addition, or as a replacement, to the jam.
• Lightly dust the finished cake with caster sugar or icing sugar if desired.

 This recipe will make a cake that will slice into about ten to twelve average sized slices.

Things Needed

The ingredients you will need, in order to make a Victoria Sponge cake, in round baking tins sized between seven to eight inches, or about twenty centimetres, across are:-

For the Sponge Cake
175g or 4 ounces of caster sugar
3 Medium or Large Eggs, preferably Free Range for the improved taste.
175g or four ounces of self-raising flour.

175g or 4 ounces of unsalted Butter or margarine.

Butter will give a richer flavour.

  For The Filling

3 tbsp of Strawberry Jam
500ml double cream

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Two round sandwich cake tins around 20cms across.

Greaseproof paper.

Lard, fat or margarine.

Icing sugar or caster sugar for lightly dusting the finished cake.