My favourite cake has always been a classic Victoria Sponge. I love the taste, and the the simplicity of it. They are so easy to make, and tend to always go down well with family and friends. I have used the recipe from Waitrose Online, but have substituted the jam for fresh strawberries and cream.
Compared to my post on healthy banana pancakes, this recipe is definitely not a healthy option, but is perfect for when you just need a treat with a cup of tea.
Ingredients you will need for this cake:
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes, plus cooling
Method (by Waitrose):
Pre-heat your oven to 180°C, or Gas Mark 4. Take two cake tins (roughly 20cm in diameter) and use a small amount of butter to grease them so the cake mixture doesn't stick.
For this recipe the butter and the sugar are added together in a large mixing bowl, and beaten together until light and fluffy. ( I used a wooden spoon and a bit of elbow grease, but it's fine to just use an electric whisk.) It is important that this stage is done well, so plenty of air can get into the mixture - making the cake light in texture.
Add your four eggs into another bowl, and whisk. Use a separate bowl just in case any shell falls in and it can be easily removed before adding to the mixture. Add small amounts of egg at a time, (about a quarter each time), alongside a spoonful of flour, whilst beating the mixture until all the ingredients are incorporated.
The mixture should be of dropping consistency - it should drip off a spoon, but not be runny. If the mixture is too dry just add a little milk.
Divide your mixture between the two greased cake tins.
Smooth over the tops to ensure the mixture reaches the edges.
Place the cake tins in the pre-heated oven on the same shelf, for around 20 minutes. After this time, get a skewer or a knife and make a small hole in the middle of the cake - if the cake is cooked, no cake mixture should appear on the skewer or knife.
After the cakes are cooked, place the tins on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes so the sponges can cool. Then, remove the sponges from the tins and leave on the side.
Now it's time for the strawberries and cream. Place the cream in a large bowl, and whisk until it becomes firm, but still runs off a spoon if held sideways. You don't want to over-whisk the cream, as it will lose it's shine once placed on the cake.
Compared to my post on healthy banana pancakes, this recipe is definitely not a healthy option, but is perfect for when you just need a treat with a cup of tea.
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| - The completed cake - |
Ingredients you will need for this cake:
- 220g butter, softened at room temperature
- 220g caster sugar
- 4 medium eggs, beaten
- 220g self-raising flour
- 600ml cream (I used double cream)
- 400g strawberries
- a few drops of vanilla extract (optional)
- 4 tbsp strawberry jam
 | ||
| - Ingredients - |
Preparation time: 15-20 minutes
Cooking time: 20-25 minutes, plus cooling
Method (by Waitrose):
Pre-heat your oven to 180°C, or Gas Mark 4. Take two cake tins (roughly 20cm in diameter) and use a small amount of butter to grease them so the cake mixture doesn't stick.
For this recipe the butter and the sugar are added together in a large mixing bowl, and beaten together until light and fluffy. ( I used a wooden spoon and a bit of elbow grease, but it's fine to just use an electric whisk.) It is important that this stage is done well, so plenty of air can get into the mixture - making the cake light in texture.
Add your four eggs into another bowl, and whisk. Use a separate bowl just in case any shell falls in and it can be easily removed before adding to the mixture. Add small amounts of egg at a time, (about a quarter each time), alongside a spoonful of flour, whilst beating the mixture until all the ingredients are incorporated.
This stage is optional, but I decided to add a few drops of vanilla extract to the mixture, just to give it a little more flavour.
The mixture should be of dropping consistency - it should drip off a spoon, but not be runny. If the mixture is too dry just add a little milk.
Divide your mixture between the two greased cake tins.
Smooth over the tops to ensure the mixture reaches the edges.
Place the cake tins in the pre-heated oven on the same shelf, for around 20 minutes. After this time, get a skewer or a knife and make a small hole in the middle of the cake - if the cake is cooked, no cake mixture should appear on the skewer or knife.
After the cakes are cooked, place the tins on a cooling rack for about 20 minutes so the sponges can cool. Then, remove the sponges from the tins and leave on the side.
Now it's time for the strawberries and cream. Place the cream in a large bowl, and whisk until it becomes firm, but still runs off a spoon if held sideways. You don't want to over-whisk the cream, as it will lose it's shine once placed on the cake.
Next, wash your strawberries and cut off the ends. It is up to you how you chop the strawberries but I decided to slice them so they would lay flat, and I could create a pattern.
Once the cream and strawberries are prepared, take one of the sponges, and spread a generous amount of cream onto it. You don't have to be neat!
Add the chopped strawberries any way you like. Then, place the second sponge on top, and repeat the stage on the top of that one.
Now, your cake is complete, enjoy!
Looks delish! :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Ciaran! :)
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