‘Having your cake & Eating it’ Recipes…

The blog about this recipe can be found on the Me, Myself & I blog … Check it out!

This is the recipe for a simple Victoria Sandwich Cake with some added variations.. The simplest cake to make but with all the taste …

Chocolate cake topped with Ganache

Ingredients

For the basic Victoria Sponge

• 225g caster sugar - Golden if you have it!

• 225g softened butter

• 4 eggs, beaten

• 225g self-raising flour

• 1 tsp baking powder

• 2 tbsp milk

• 1 tsp vanilla extract

Victoria Sandwich Cake with Cream & Jam

Method

• STEP 1

  Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Butter two 20cm sandwich tins & line with non-stick baking paper.

• STEP 2

  In a large bowl beat 225g caster sugar with 225g softened butter, then fold in the 4 eggs & 225g self-raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder & 2 tbsp milk until you have a smooth, soft batter.

• STEP 3

  Divide the mixture between the tins, smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon.

• STEP 4

  Bake for about 20 mins until golden & the cake springs back when pressed. Or a thin knife comes out clean when gently poked into the cake.

• STEP 5

  Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

For the filling … There are many types of filling you can use depending on the occasion …

The making of Ganache ….

So Filling suggestions…

• Jam & Whipped Cream filling - Simply gently spread the jam of your choosing over the bottom layer of the cake & then cover with Whipped double cream. Pop the other cake on top & sieve over some icing sugar.

• Ganache - Use Double cream or Whipping cream. The ‘purists’ will say that you need to use chocolate with 70% chocolate solids… Raspberries to that! Use what you like to eat, baring in mind that mixing chocolate with cream will make the chocolate lighter in flavour. In terms of quantities use 1:1 ratio. For example 100g chocolate to 100g cream etc… All you need to do is heat the chocolate in your preferred manner, I use the microwave. Whatever you do - don’t over heat the chocolate! Watch it like a hawk! Once the chocolate has melted with the cream, mix it together & simply spoon over the bottom layer of the cake, place the top cake layer on and cover the top with more ganache. In the cake picture here on the blog, with the left over ganache I have beaten in some icing sugar until it is a stiff constituency & then piped onto the cake & covered it with shavings of chocolate. You can shave the chocolate by scraping a spoon over the chocolate bar to create shavings or use a cheese grater.

• Butter Sugar icing - To make the filling, beat 100g softened butter until smooth and creamy, then gradually beat in 140g sifted icing sugar & a drop of vanilla extract (if you’re using it).

• VARIATIONS OF VICTORIA CAKE

• Chocolate Victoria Sponge cake - replace approximately 25g to 50g of the flour with cocoa powder & mix until you get the consistence/batter just right & bake in the same way.

• Zesty Victoria Lemon cake - Use the Zest & juice of 3 lemons. Fold the lemon zest into the cake mixture/batter. Use 3 tbs of the lemon juice in the mixture instead of the vanilla extract & the milk & bake in the same way. To make a topping, mix the rest of the lemon juice with some caster sugar, to taste, divide this mixture into two. Mix one with icing sugar, until it is thick & syrupy then fill the centre of the cake with this sweet mixture, place the other cake on top & make little skewer holes in the cake & drizzle the lemon & sugar mixture over the top & finish the top of the cake with dusted granulated sugar, which gives it a crunch Leave to dry for 20 minutes to dry or if you have to eat straight away!

  Please go to Me, Myself & I to see the personal blog that inspired these recopies. Blog post called ‘Having your cake & eating it!’

Chocolate Victoria Sponge