This week’s recipe comes from the lovely Victoria of I Love Meal Plans.

Here is my version of a Victoria sponge; I find the key to making this cake magical is the way you combine the ingredients, so follow the instructions carefully! This cake was for my husband’s 30th birthday and so to feed all our guests I made a 10oz sponge. I would normally make a smaller cake, so the recipe below is for a 4oz cake. The measurements of this recipe are easy to increase or decrease as necessary. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 oz softened unsalted butter
4 0z sifted caster sugar
2 large free range eggs
4 0z sifted self raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla essence
1 tbsp milk (approx)

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Method:
1. Line two round sponge tins with baking paper and grease them with alittle butter.

2. Pre-heat the over to 180°c.

3. Cream butter and sugar together until smooth.

4. Add one egg and mix well, add half the flour and mix again.

5. Add the second egg and the rest of the flour, baking powder and vanilla essence, combine into a smooth mixture.

6. Pour a little of the milk into the mixture, you need the mixture to be ‘droppable’, this means it should fall slowly from your spoon. If the mixture is too thick and sticks to the spoon add more milk, if the mixture is too runny then add a spoonful or two of more flour.

7. Gently pour the mixture evenly into each sponge tin, make sure that the tins are not filled more than halfway (or it will overflow as it rises and end up on the bottom of the oven floor!).

8. Use a palette knife to spread the mixture across the sponge tin to give it a flat surface.

9.Cook in the middle of the oven for 20 mins. Test the cake is cooked by touching the top of the cake, it should spring back up and not leave an indentation. If the cake is ready gently remove from the tins and leave to cool on a wire rack. If the cake needs longer leave for a few minutes inthe oven and test again.

10.Sprinkle the hot cakes with caster sugar, this gives a nice topping to thecake, but if you want to decorate your cake like I did use the icing recipe below.

Icing:
Ingredients:
40z softened unsalted butter
8 oz sifted icing sugar
2 drops vanilla essence
Strawberry jam

••••
Method:
1. Beat butter and icing sugar together until smooth, add vanilla and blend.

2. Spoon icing onto cake and smooth with a palette knife.

3 . Sandwich the cakes together with butter icing and plenty of strawberry jam.