Traditional Victoria Sponge Recipes

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.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 7-inch cake pans and line with parchment paper.
• Sift self-rising flour into a bowl; add sugar, margarine, and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Crack in eggs. Beat with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer until pale and fluffy. Divide batter between the cake pans; smooth the tops with the back of a spoon.
• Bake in the preheated oven until top is golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes. Invert onto a wire rack to cool completely, about 20 minutes.
• Sift confectioners' sugar into a bowl; add butter and 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract. Beat with an electric mixer until frosting is light and fluffy.
• Spread raspberry jam over 1 cake layer. Cover jam with frosting. Place second cake layer on top.

Steps:

• The measurements for this recipe are equal amounts of sugar, flour and fat to the weight of the eggs; Recipezaar will not allow me to post that as a measurement. Therefore, weigh the eggs first - if the eggs weigh 8 ounces, you will use 8 ounces of sugar, 8 ounces of butter or margarine and 8 ounces of flour. If the eggs weigh 6 ounces, all the other ingredients will be 6 ounces - easy!
• Set oven Gas 4 160C (fan oven), 180C or 360F: grease and base line the bottom of 2 x 8" sandwich tins - cake tins.
• Cream margarine or butter together with the sugar, until light and fluffy.
• Beat the eggs, and then add them to the mixture, gradually and beating well after each addition.
• Sieve the flour and fold into the mixture with a metal spoon.
• Divide equally between the 2 prepared tins and bake for 25 minutes in the middle of the oven.
• Remove and allow to cool for 1-2 minutes.
• Remove from the tins and fill with raspberry jam (and cream if using) when cold, to avoid the cream melting or the jam seeping into the sponge.
• A light dusting of caster sugar or icing sugar on the top will finish it.
• Place on an attractive cake stand or plate, and serve in dainty wedges with freshly brewed tea.
• Cook's Notes.
• If you use butter remove from the fridge to soften before using. This is not necessary with soft margarine.
• If large eggs are used they may weigh 7 ½ ozs/210g. If so make sure you use this weight for the other ingredients.
• A smaller sandwich cake can be made with 2 medium eggs. Weight about 4 oz/55g. If so, use 2 x 7" sandwich tins and the cakes and the cakes will need less time in the oven - probably 20mins.
• Alternative measurements:.
• 3 eggs.
• 6 ounces soft margarine or butter.
• 6 ounces caster sugar.
• 6 ounces SR flour.
• Proceed as above for method.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to gas mark 4, 180°C, 350°F then mix the sugar and margarine together until creamy.
• Beat the eggs then add one at a time, stirring until it is runny.
• At this point you could add flavour if you wanted.
• Sieve the flour into the bowl, then mix altogether until all the flour is gone.
• Grease the tins with margarine and then divide equally between two tins, and bake for 25 minutes.
• Take them out and put on a cooling tray for 10 minutes.
• Cut out both sides, and put them together like a sandwich.
• Oh, and be sure to add jam or something delicious between the two cake halves.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 8-inch round cake pans and line with parchment paper.
• Beat 3/4 cup butter and white sugar together in a large bowl with an electric mixer until pale and creamy, about 2 minutes. Add eggs one a time, mixing well between each addition. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla extract; beat briefly until well-blended in the batter. Continue beating batter until bubbles appear on the surface, about 2 minutes more.
• Sift flour, baking powder, and salt into the bowl. Gently fold with a spoon just until smooth. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared pans, smoothing the tops with a cake spatula.
• Bake in the preheated oven until cakes are golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20 minutes. Cool in the pans for 5 minutes before inverting onto a wire rack to cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Beat confectioners' sugar, 1/4 cup butter, and 1 teaspoon vanilla extract together in a bowl to make a smooth buttercream.
• Place one cake layer, flat-side up, on a serving platter. Spread buttercream evenly onto the cake with a spatula. Spread raspberry jam in an even layer over the buttercream, right to the edges. Place second layer, flat-side down, over the filling.