Hello Lovelies!
It's a Let's Cook today! I tried out a recipe for Victoria sponge cake I found on the BBC Good Food website (Granny's Victoria Sponge). Now, the reason I tried out this recipe rather than than my go to one in my Marguerite Patten Every Day Cook book is that the book has vanished! I have no idea where it's gone but I'm sure it'll turn up sooner or later! So in the meantime I decided to give this a go.
Go Get
200g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing
200g caster sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
4 medium eggs
200g self-raising flour, plus extra for dusting
about 6 tbsp raspberry jam
250ml double cream, whipped (NOTE: I didn't use this as I decided to use butter cream instead)
Icing sugar, for dusting
Go Do
Heat oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5. Grease and flour 2 x 20cm sandwich tins. I cheated on this as I hate greasing tins, I have a cooking oil spray which is super handy - you just spray the tings with it and drop in the greese proof. (NOTE: I also find cutting out greaseproof paper a pain to get it the perfect size, how ever most pound shops sell packets of it in a variety of sizes! You get quite a few tin liners for your money too!) You can see the pre-greased tins in the photo above.
Place the butter, sugar and vanilla extract into a bowl and beat well to a creamy consistency. You can either do this with a wooden spoon or an electric mixer.
Slowly beat in the eggs, one at a time, then stir in the flour and mix well. ( You might find the mixture curdles if you do it too quick((I did!)), if this happens all you need to do is beat in a little of the flour to bring it back to normal).
Divide the mix equally between the cake tins, try and smooth out the tops as best you can and place into the oven and bake for about 20 mins until risen and golden brown.
Optional: Find yourself a super helper who will sit on your feet whilst your trying to mix cake batter!
The cakes should spring back when gently pushed in the middle when they are cooked. 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.
In the mean time whip up your cream or buttercream.
Once your cake is completely cooled, place the bottom of your cake on to a plate - if you're intending to move this about/take it anywhere you might find it a good idea to put a little put of jam or butter cream under it so it doesn't slide about.
Place a large spoonful of cream onto the cake.
Spread it out right to the edges.
Spread your chosen jam on to the top part of the cake whilst its still on the rack, again try and get it right to the edges.
Place the top half of the cake on the bottom and press firmly but gentley to sanwich the cakes together.
It should look something like the above!
Here's the stencil I mentioned earlier - you can just dust your icing sugar straight on top, but I was trying to be fancy!
You can just about see the pattern.
Pattern close up.
There you go! Tasty cake perfect for afternoon tea! I would say unlike the usual centrepiece I use this didn't rise nearly as well/maybe I should have doubled up the mix for my tins? I usually get gigantic sized Victoria sponge!
Ta-ta for now,
x
