How to make Victoria sponge cake
There are only three words to describe Queen Victoria's favourite cake - sweet, soft and comforting.
This sponge cake is Queen Victoria-approved.
The royal is said to have been a big fan of sponge cake, which she often ate with her afternoon tea. People eventually started calling it 'Victoria Sponge Cake'.
The English sometimes refer to it as a sandwich cake.
The cake is also popular in Italy, where it is known as Pan di Spagna (Italian sponge cake), while the French call it Gâteau de Savoie and the Spanish know it as Bizcocho sponge cake.
Whatever you call it, this cake is perfect for the month of love.
"What’s more romantic than buttery sponge cake, layers of sweet strawberry preserves, and heaps of fluffy Chantilly cream? Pure heaven," Govender says.
Here's how to make her Victoria sponge cake.
160g unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla essence
160g caster sugar
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
160g self-raising flour
200ml fresh cream
2 tbsp icing sugar, extra for dusting
100g strawberry jam
250g fresh strawberries, optional
Method
Preheat the oven to 170°C. Prepare two 20cm round baking tins with baking paper and non-stick baking spray, and set aside.
In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter, vanilla essence and castor sugar using an electric hand-held whisk until light and fluffy, about 6–8 minutes.
Add the lightly beaten egg, a 1/4 cup at a time, mixing well between additions, until fully incorporated.
Carefully fold in the flour. Spoon equal amounts of the batter evenly into the two prepared cake tins.
Bake for 25–30 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean when inserted into the centre of the cake. Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes before turning out and peeling away the baking paper.
Whip the cream and 1 tablespoon of icing sugar to medium peaks. Spread half of the cream in an even layer over the bottom half of the cooled cake. Next, spread the strawberry jam evenly (and carefully) on top of the cream, and add diced strawberries (optional).
Sandwich the cake with the other half and transfer it carefully to a serving plate.
Dust with the icing sugar, spread the remaining cream over and top with whole strawberries and serve.
Keep the cake refrigerated.
Visit The Tocka Blog for more delicious recipes.
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Main image credit: The Tocka Blog (Landi Govender)