Rosemary Shragers Victoria Sponge Cake Food

VICTORIA SPONGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• Grease and line 2 x 18cm/7in cake tins with baking paper.
• Cream the butter and the sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy.
• Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, and stir in the vanilla extract.
• Fold in the flour using a large metal spoon, adding a little extra milk if necessary, to create a batter with a soft dropping consistency.
• Divide the mixture between the cake tins and gently spread out with a spatula.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
• Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin and peel off the paper. Place onto a wire rack.
• Whip the cream with a whisk or electric handheld mixer until it forms soft peaks when the whisk is removed.
• Sandwich the cakes together the whipped cream and berries. Dust with icing sugar.

VICTORIA SPONGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter and flour a 9-inch round cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper.
• In a standing mixer fitted with a paddle attachment (or using a hand mixer), cream the butter until light and fluffy. Add the sugar and cream well. Add the eggs, vanilla, and salt and continue to mix well, scraping down the bowl with a rubber spatula occasionally. Fold in the sifted flour and pour the batter into the prepared cake pan. Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch in the center, about 25 minutes. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack. Unmold and, using a serrated knife, slice the cake in half horizontally into 2 layers.
• To make Victoria Sponge Sandwiches: Dust your rolling pin and work surface with confectioners' sugar, and roll the marzipan into a disk the size of the cake. Using a knife, trim the marzipan to fit the circumference of the cake exactly. Spread the cut-sides of the cake layers with raspberry jam and sandwich the marzipan layer in between the jam-dressed cake layers. Press all the layers together; then cut into wedges, to serve. Dust the wedges liberally with confectioners' sugar.

ULTIMATE TRADITIONAL VICTORIA SPONGE

Steps:

• Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Butter and line the base and sides of two 20cm sandwich tins.
• Beat the butter and sugar together in a large bowl with an electric whisk for 8-10 mins, or until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt, and fold in using a large metal spoon. Add just enough of the milk to create a dropping consistency.
• Divide the batter between the prepared tins and smooth the tops with a spatula. Bake on the middle shelf of the oven for 25-30 mins, or until golden and firm to the touch. Leave to cool slightly in the tins, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
• Meanwhile, make the macerated berries. Mix the sugar, lemon juice, vanilla and mint together until the sugar has dissolved. Gently stir in the strawberries and raspberries until coated in the mixture. Transfer to the fridge and chill for 30-45 mins until softened.
• To make the crème diplomat, put the custard, vanilla pod and sugar in a pan set over a medium heat and bring to the boil, stirring occasionally. Mix the custard powder with 3 tbsp water to dilute and stir until smooth. Whisk into the boiling custard, then reduce the heat to a simmer and continue whisking for 2-3 mins until thick. Put in a heatproof bowl and leave to cool slightly, then chill until cooled completely. Whisk the double cream to soft peaks, and when the custard is cool, remove the vanilla pod and whisk in the cream until the mix is thick enough to pipe.
• Drain the macerated berries, reserving the liquid. To assemble, spread half the crème diplomat over one of the sponges, then top with three-quarters of the berries. Invert the second sponge on top, so the flat base of the sponge is facing up, and dust with some icing sugar. Put the remaining crème diplomat in a piping bag fitted with a star nozzle and pipe rosettes around the edge of the cake. Dot the rest of the berries between the rosettes of cream, and serve with the reserved macerating liquid alongside - don't pour it over before serving as it will split the crème diplomat. Will keep in the fridge for up to three days.