A Victoria sponge cake is popular for a reason, with two vanilla sponges sandwiched together with jam and cream in the middle.
Despite being such a simple bake, it can be tweaked to taste, including changing the jam or opting for buttercream instead of fresh cream.
Nigella’s recipe notes said: “This is the Victoria sponge I’ve been making for decades…I don’t advise making this in advance, as it stales quickly.
“As with so many simple pleasures, just savour it in the moment.”
This recipe yields eight to 10 slices and bakes in just 20 to 25 minutes.
Ingredients:
For the cake:
225g unsalted butter, softened
225g caster sugar
One teaspoon of vanilla extract
200g plain flour
25g cornflour
Two and a half teaspoons of baking powder
Pinch of salt
Four large eggs, at room temperature
Two to three tablespoons of milk, at room temperature
For the filling:
75g seedless raspberry jam
10g fresh raspberries
150ml double cream
Method:
Heat the oven to 180C/160C Fan and grease the sides of the tins before lining with parchment.
Start by creaming the butter and sugar together until very light and fluffy, then add in the vanilla and mix again.
In another bowl, mix together the flour, cornflour, baking powder and salt.
Beat one egg into the creamed butter and sugar, followed by one tablespoon of flour mixture and continue this until all eggs are used up.
Give a good scrape, then thoroughly beat in the rest of the flour.
Next, beat in the milk a little at a time before diving the batter evenly between the two tins, baking for 20 to 25 minutes.
Take them out of the oven when the tops are deep brown and they’re springy to touch, leaving them to cool in the tin for 10 minutes before transferring them to a cooling rack.
Once cool, put the bottom layer on a serving plate top side down, then spread over the jam.
Put the raspberries onto a plate and lightly fork to crush them a little, adding them to the layer of jam.
Whip the cream until it’s thick but still soft, and spread it onto the jam.
Place the second cake on top, then sprinkle over two teaspoons of caster sugar to give it a sparkly dusting, then serve immediately.
