Victoria Sponge
This is a study in texture and patience. The lightness of the crumb depends entirely on how much air you beat into the butter at the start.
Room temperature is not a suggestion
If your butter is cold, it will not aerate; if your eggs are cold, the batter will split. Pull everything out of the fridge an hour before you begin.
- two 8-inch round cake tins
- stand mixer or electric hand whisk
- rubber spatula
- fine mesh sieve
What goes in.
- 225gunsalted butter, softened
- 225gcaster sugar
- 4large eggs
- 225gself-raising flour, sifted
- 1 tspbaking powder
- 150graspberry or strawberry jam
- 200mldouble cream, whipped to soft peaks
Aeration is your lift
Beat the butter and sugar for at least five minutes until the mixture turns from yellow to a very pale, almost white color. This trapped air is what makes the cake rise.
The method.
Prep the tins
Grease the tins with butter and line the bottoms with parchment paper to ensure an easy release.
Cream
Beat butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl twice.
Add eggs
Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each. Add a tablespoon of your flour if it looks like the batter might curdle.
Fold
Gently fold in the sifted flour and baking powder using a rubber spatula. Do not overmix; stop the moment you stop seeing streaks of flour.
Bake
Divide evenly into tins. Bake at 180°C (350°F) for 20-25 minutes until the tops are golden and the cakes pull slightly away from the edges.
Assemble
Once cooled, spread jam on one layer and whipped cream on the other. Sandwich them together and dust the top with icing sugar.
Other turns to take.
Lemon Curd
Replace the jam with a thin layer of lemon curd for a sharper finish.
Vanilla Bean
Add the seeds of one vanilla pod to the butter and sugar at the start of creaming.
When it doesn't go to plan.
Never open the oven door during the first 15 minutes of baking or the cakes may sink.
The cakes are done when they spring back under a light touch in the center.
If you want a flat top, gently level the cakes with a serrated knife once they are cold.
The ones that keep coming up.
Why did my cake sink in the middle?
Usually, this means the oven temperature was too low or you opened the door too early, causing the cake to lose its structure before it set.
Can I use margarine instead of butter?
Margarine produces a different crumb texture and lacks the depth of flavor that real butter provides.