My (not Victoria’s!) Sponge Cake

The base of this recipe is a classic Victoria sponge, but you can pimp it up with all kinds of flavours and make it your own.

Try adding a couple of teaspoons of spice when adding the flour, or 10 drops of citrus oil to the butter. You can sub 30g of the flour for cocoa powder, or add matcha tea powder.

Citrus zest works well in the mix, but basically, your imagination is the only limiting factor. 

Ingredients

• 290g plain flour 
• 2 tsp baking powder  
• ½ tsp salt  
• 160g unsalted butter, at room temperature  
• 280g caster sugar  
• 1 ½ tsp vanilla extract  
• 2 large eggs, at room temperature 
• 160ml whole milk, at room temperature  
• 150 ml double cream  
• 150g your favourite jam or curd
• 1 tbsp icing sugar, for dusting

Method

1.Preheat oven to 160C (fan assisted). Line two 20cm round tins with baking paper on the bottom and grease the sides with butter, and dust with flour.

2.In a medium bowl toss together the flour, baking powder and salt.

3.Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, scraping down the sides of the bowl as needed (this may take 5 mins as the sugar needs to have dissolved into the butter).

4.Add the vanilla extract, then add the eggs one at a time, making sure each one is fully incorporated before adding the next.

5.Add in a third of the dry ingredients and mix until just incorporated. Add 80ml of the milk and mix. Add another third of the dry ingredients, then the rest of the milk, and the rest of the dry ingredients.

6.Divide the cake mixture evenly between the two tins.

7.Bake for 20-25 minutes or until lightly browned and starting to pull away from the sides of the tin. It should spring back when lightly pressed in the centre.

8.Cool the sponges in the tins for 5 minutes then turn them out onto a cooling rack to cool completely.

9.Spread an even layer of jam on top of one of the sponges.

10.Lightly whip the cream to soft peaks (careful not to overwhip).

11.Dollop the cream on top of the jam and lightly spread. Top with the second sponge and dust with icing sugar.