Victoria Sponge Cake with Whipped Cream and Strawberry Jam

This is a very special and wonderful Victoria Sponge Cake recipe coming from a dear friend. My friend Gillian is a pro on this treat and she very kindly shared it. It is very easy to make and truly delicious, moist and perfect with a cup of tea or coffee.

One of the joys of life – at least for me – is to share a delicious bite with a good friend; we baked this cake with the children and shared with a dear friend visiting us. A special moment to treasure, pause and enjoy. I hope you can have a chance to make and enjoy this treat, a staple of the classic English afternoon tea:) This cake is best eaten the same day. It can be refrigerated over night- if there are any leftovers!

Serves 6-8
Preparation time: 20 minutes Baking time:20 minutes

Cake batter for the 1st sponge cake (please make one more batch for the 2nd sponge cake)
4oz/ half cup self-raising flour
4oz/ half cup sugar
4oz/half cup unsalted butter
2 eggs, beaten
1/2 teaspoon vanilla

Raspberry or strawberry jam
Whipped double (heavy) cream
Powdered (Icing) sugar

Preheat the oven to 180C/350F

Bring butter and eggs to room temperature for about 1 hour ahead of time. In food processor cream butter and sugar together until light yellow and combined.

Slowly mix in beaten eggs (beat eggs well before including – the key to this recipe is beating in as much air as possible to make the sponge light and fluffy). Move butter, sugar and egg mixture to a bowl. Stir in vanilla.

Sift flour (adds more air!) and slowly and gently fold into the batter mixture. Pour batter into a 8″ cake tin.

Then, make a 2nd batch of cake batter and pour into a 2nd 8″ cake tin. Bake about 20 minutes – until light brown on top and knife comes out clean when inserted in the middle.

Leave the sponge cakes to cool on wire track. Transfer to plates. Spread jam on the bottom (flat part) of each cake. With an electric hand whisk, whip the double (heavy) cream really well. Place the whipped cream on top of the jam on the bottom cake. Put on the 2nd cake on top. Sieve powdered(icing) sugar on top of cake.

Slice and enjoy with a cup of tea or coffee.

Afiyet Olsun!

Note: You may be asking – why don’t I make one big batch and divide between 2 tins? Good question. My friend says for some reason, the cake doesn’t turn out the same. So the cake is better when cooked in 2 separate batches!