Victoria Sponge

A lot of people ask me how I make my plain sponge cake. To be honest I'm not usually one for making a Victoria sponge because I usually make plain cupcakes, but this recipe is good as well for just making plain cupcakes. A Victoria sponge is very simple and easy to make, a lot of people I know are quite surprised at how simple it is to make. This surprised me because in my family baking is a life skill and is learnt from a very young age, many of these people have never made one in their life.

This recipe will show you how to make an 8 inch 2 layer Victoria sponge cake, or about 12-16 (if you use muffin cases you will make about 12 and if you use cupcake cases you will make about 16)

For the cake:
225g/ 8oz margarine or soft unsalted butter
225g/ 8oz caster sugar
225g/ 8oz self raising flour
4 medium sized eggs
1 tsp vanilla essence (optional)

Butter cream icing:
150g unsalted butter
250g icing sugar (I tend to use a bit more icing sugar but it depends on how you like your butter icing to taste!)
1 tsp vanilla essence

Your favourite jam

1. Preheat your oven to 180c / Gas mark 4. To line your cake tins, I use baking parchment to line my tins with but if you have other cake liners then use them, draw around the bottom of the tins that create circles cut 4 lines of baking parchment about 2 inches in height. With these four lines of baking parchment cut the bottom of them so they are frilled. With either margarine or butter grease the tins with a piece of kitchen roll with the marg or butter on it. With 2 lines of paper line the sides of one tin making sure that where the frills are they are on the bottom of the tin, then with one of the circles place it into the bottom so the bottom of the tin is covered. Do this with the other tin.
2. Cream the margarine/butter and sugar in a bowl until they are both incorporated together.
3. Add one egg and sift 1/4 of the flour into the butter mixture and beat it to incorporate it together, do this with the rest of the flour and eggs. I like to add vanilla essence to my cake but if you prefer not to you don't have to. Once everything added beat for a minute or two until you have a smooth batter.
4. Split the batter evenly between the two tins and put into the preheated oven. Cook for about 15-20 minutes. Once it has cooked or it looks golden brown and does not wobble test with a clean knife, if it comes out clean then it is done if not place it back into the oven for another couple of minutes until it is done.
5. Let the cakes cool for about 20 minutes in the tins and then take them out of the tins.
6. For the butter cream you will need to make sure that the butter is soft, if it is not soft then put it in the microwave for 10 seconds or leave it on the side until soften. Place the butter into a bowl add the icing sugar gradually while sifting (if there are lumps in it and you do not get them out it does not taste very nice), either mix with an electric whisk, hand whisk or a fork (personally I prefer to use a fork but an electric whisk is better but be careful when using an electric whisk and icing sugar because the icing sugar goes everywhere).
7. You must taste the butter cream while making it to test whether it is to your tastes or its finished. Butter icing must not taste like butter nor should it taste like icing sugar, if it tastes like butter keep adding icing sugar, if it taste like icing sugar add a little more butter. Once you think it is done add 1 tsp of vanilla essence (again my preference you do not have to add it) and mix together well.
8. When assembling the cake make sure you are doing it on a flat surface, on one of the cakes (preferably flat side down (bottom) add either jam to the bottom layer. On the next layer (with the curved side facing up) add the butter cream (if you have left over butter cream it can be stored in the fridge for a about 1-2 weeks), sandwich the two layers together and you have yourself a Victoria sponge!!!

When using the recipe of cupcakes they usually take between 10-15 minutes in the oven to cook and watch them carefully to make sure they do not burn.

I hope this will help some people with making a plain sponge cake and I hope you enjoy.

Katie