The Best Victoria Sponge Recipe

CAKE:
200g Sugar
200g Butter at room temp plus extra for greasing
4 Eggs
200g Self raising flour sifted
1 Tsp Baking powder
2 Tbsp Milk 
Baking paper
FILLING:
100g Butter at room temp
140g Icing sugar sifted
1 Tbsp Lemon or passion fruit curd (optional but see below)
180g Jam (Strawberry or go rogue & mix it up a bit!)
Icing sugar, sifted on top

Serves 8-10

Butter & line 2 x 20cm cake tins.  Heat the oven to 190°C fan.

You can use the all in one method by beating all the cake ingredients together but I use my mum’s method and I feel the good cake fairies are with me.

Beat together the butter & sugar until light & fluffy.  An electric whisk or 
mixer is a blessing here. 
Add the eggs 1 at a time and beat into the mixture.  After the 2nd egg I add a Tbsp of the flour with each egg so that it doesn’t curdle. I mix again for a few minutes with a mixer to add in air and lightness.
Gently fold in the rest of the flour & baking powder and then the milk so the mix is a well combined batter.
Divide the mixture between the 2 tins and smooth with a spoon.  Pop into the oven & bake for 20 mins or until golden and the cake springs back when you press it lightly. 
Turn out and cool on a baking tray.  I remove the baking paper when it’s cool – although once I forgot to remove one, but that’s another story!

For the butter icing, mix the butter a little first in a bowl and my favourite thing is to add some lemon or passion fruit curd rather than vanilla extract because it makes the butter cream really zingy. 
Then add the icing sugar a little at a time and mix in gently until it’s combined because it can fly everywhere.   Once its combined, I mix it on a high speed for a few minutes until its light and fluffy.  

Once the sponge is cold, add the butter cream to the base layer and put the jam on the top layer then sandwich together and sift some icing sugar on top.

To Drink: Pair with Herb Verde or Spiced Rhubarb. Alternatively, let’s be honest, a lovely cup of tea!