The Most Amazing Victoria Sponge 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.

THE MOST AMAZING VICTORIA SPONGE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180ºc/160º fan/Gas 4/350ºF Grease and line two 8" (20cm) round loose-bottomed cake tins.
• Put the soft butter (225g) into a large mixing bowl, add the caster sugar (225g) and use a handheld electric mixer to cream together until light and fluffy.
• Add the eggs to the mixing bowl, one at a time, beating well after each addition.
• Place a sieve over the mixing bowl and sift in the flour (225g) and baking powder (2tsps).
• Use a large metal spoon to gently fold the ingredients together. Take care not to overmix.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the two tins (about 430g in each tin). Smooth the top of the mixture with the back of a spoon and gently tap the cake tin on the work surface to release any air bubbles.
• Bake in the oven for 25 minutes. When baked, the cakes will shrink away from the sides of the tin slightly and will feel springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and leave to cool in the cake tins before turning out.
• When the cakes are cool place one of the cakes on a cake board or stand and spread it with the strawberry jam (6 tbsps).
• Put the double cream (250 ml), icing sugar (1.5 tbsps) and vanilla extract (1 tsp) into a mixing bowl. Whisk until it is forming soft peaks and holds its shape. Spread it on top of the jam and then sandwich the other sponge on top. To decorate, dust with icing sugar.

GRANNY'S VICTORIA SPONGE

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Grease and flour two 20cm sandwich tins.
• Place 200g softened unsalted butter, 200g caster sugar and 1 tsp vanilla extract into a bowl and beat well to a creamy consistency.
• Slowly beat in 4 medium eggs, one by one, then fold in 200g self-raising flour and mix well.
• Divide the mix between the cake tins, place into the oven and bake for about 20 mins until risen and golden brown. The cakes should spring back when gently pushed in the middle.
• When ready, remove from the oven and allow to cool for 5 mins in the tin, before turning out onto a wire rack and cooling completely.
• Spread about 6 tbsp raspberry jam onto one cake and top with 250ml whipped double cream. Sandwich the cakes together and 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.

VICTORIA SPONGE

Steps:

• You will need 2 x 20cm / 8-inch sandwich tins Heat the oven to 180°C/160°C Fan/350°F. Grease the sides of the tins with a small amount of butter and line the bases with baking parchment. You can make the sponge with a processor - in which case just blitz all the ingredients together (except for the 2 teaspoons of sugar and the milk) including the extra half-teaspoon of baking powder, until you have a smooth batter, and then, with the motor running, pour in 2 tablespoons of the milk slowly down the funnel until the mixture has a soft, dropping consistency, adding the third tablespoon only if necessary - or you can make it with an electric mixer and, indeed, the old-fashioned way, by hand; and if either of those is this case, start by creaming the butter and sugar, that's to say, beating them vigorously together until very light and fluffy. Add the teaspoon of vanilla extract and beat that in, too. In another, smaller, bowl mix together the flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt. Beat one egg into the creamed butter and sugar, followed by one tablespoon of the flour mixture and, once both are absorbed, continue in this manner until all 4 eggs are used up. Give a good scrape down, and then, gently, gradually but thoroughly beat in the rest of the flour mixture. Once everything's smoothly combined, start beating in the milk, one cautious tablespoon at a time (you shouldn't need more than 3) until your batter drops easily off the beaters, paddle or wooden spoon when lifted up out of the bowl. Divide the cake batter evenly between the two prepared tins, and smooth the tops a little. Place side by side in the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes, or until the deep burnished gold tops of the cakes are delicately springy to the touch and a cake tester comes out clean. Take them out of the oven and leave on a cooling rack for 10 minutes before turning them out and removing the parchment. Choose which cake you want on top - generally when I bake, I choose the thicker cake for the bottom layer, but with a Victoria Sponge, I go for the one which I think will look most appealing - and place that layer with the top uppermost to stop the rack leaving an impression. The bottom layer should be cooled top-side down, so as to help diminish any doming. Allow the cakes to cool completely. If needed, you can keep the cooled cakes on the wire rack, draped with a clean tea towel, for a couple of hours before sandwiching. When you are ready to serve the cake, put the bottom layer on its serving plate, top side down, so that you are sandwiching the two flat sides together. Beat the jam in a cup or small bowl, just to make it easier to spread, and then duly spread it over the waiting cake. Put the raspberries onto a plate and lightly fork to crush them a little and add them evenly to the layer of jam. Whip the cream until it's thick but still with a little softness to it, and spread it gently over the jam and fruit. Place your second cake on top, and then sprinkle over the 2 teaspoons of sugar to give the cake a light, sparkly dusting. Eat immediately and with joy in your heart.

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.