A Victoria Sponge

I've been wanting to make a Victoria sponge cake for a while now. They just look so light and elegant and delicious. The Victoria sponge is traditionally served with a filling of fresh cream and raspberry jam, but I opted for fresh berries instead. We're very fortunate in South Africa to have the most amazing fruit, so I love using it whenever possible.

The Final Product

I got the recipe from one of my new favourite books: Rachel Allen's Cake. The recipe is very easy, the only trick being to get your cake in for just the right amount of time so that it doesn't dry out.

Victoria Sponge
175g butter, softened and a bit extra for greasing
175g caster sugar
3 eggs
175g plain flour
1 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp milk
Icing sugar for dusting
250ml whipping cream
Fresh fruit

1. Preheat the oven to 180⁰C and butter and flour the sides of two 18cm round cake tins and line the base with baking paper.
2. Cream the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add the sugar and beat until the mixture is light and fluffy.
3. Whisk the eggs together in a small bowl for a few seconds until just mixed, then gradually add them to the butter mixture, beating all the time.
4. Sift in the flour and baking powder, then add milk and fold in gently to incorporate.
5. Divide the mixture between the two tins and make a slight hollow in the centre of each cake so that when it rises, it doesn't peak too much in the centre.
6. Place in the oven and bake for 18-25 minutes, depending on your oven. The cakes will look golden on top and be springy to the touch when ready
7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool in the tins for 10 minutes, then carefully remove the cakes from the tins and place on a wire rack to cool completely. You made need to loosen the cake from the tin using a small sharp knife.
8. Whip the cream, adding some icing sugar if you like.
9. Place one cake upside down on a plate and cover with whipped cream. Place a layer of fresh fruit on the cream (I used raspberries and blueberries).
10. Place the second cake, right-side-up, on top of the fruit and dust with icing sugar.