How to make the perfect Victoria sponge

Prepare the tins

Line the base of 2 x 7inch (18cm) sandwich tins and grease the sides.  I use cake release (available from Annabelle Jane Cake School).

Preheat the oven

Preheat your oven to gas 3.5/ 165C (155 fan)

Prepare and weigh ingredients

• Weigh 4 eggs into a bowl (usually around 220g) and whisk these lightly with a fork.  Remember the weight!
• Weigh the same quantity of cake margarine (or unsalted butter), caster sugar and self raising flour.
• If you buy a quality flour you don't need to sieve it (it will tell you on the pack).
• Vanilla - you can use ground vanilla beans, vanilla bean paste, vanilla extract.  Depending on your preference and your choice of vanilla you will need 1/4 - 1 teaspoon.

Soften the fat

Place the cake margarine/ butter into your mixing bowl along with the vanilla.  Beat (by hand, with a hand mixer or use a free standing machine) until the fat is light and fluffy.  Scrape the bowl down at intervals.

Cream the fat and sugar

Add the sugar to the softened fat and cream (beat) until it looks very light and fluffy. Scrape the bowl down at intervals.

Add the egg and flour

• Add a little egg along with a spoon of flour.
• Mix on the lowest speed until just incorporated, scrape the bowl down.
• Add about a third of the remaining egg with a spoon of flour.  Again, mix on the lowest speed until just incorporated, scrape the bowl down.
• Repeat until all the egg is mixed in.
• Fold the remaining flour through the mixture using a large metal spoon.

Put the mixture into the tins

• Divide the cake mixture (batter) between the two prepared tins. 
• Weigh the tins to make sure you have the same amount in each one.
• Spread the mixture out evenly with a slight hollow (dip) in the centre.

Bake your cakes

• Place your cakes in the centre of your preheated oven and bake for around 30 - 35 minutes.
• The cakes should be pale golden brown and if you press lightly in the centre with your finger - it should spring back.
• Remove from the oven and cover with a clean tea towel.
• Contraversal I know - but I leave my cakes to cool in the tins - no cooling rack.  I find this keeps the cakes moist.

Add the filling

• This is very much personal preference.  Some people like just jam, others jam and buttercream.  I tend you choose either strawberry or raspberry jam and I do love buttercream (especially Swiss meringue buttercream!)
• Recipes for buttercream and Swiss meringue buttercream are on our Icings Recipe Card.
• Spread jam evenly over one cake - an angled palette knife makes this easier (available from Annabelle Jane Cake School).
• If using - either spread buttercream over the other cake or, for increased snazziness - pipe your buttercream.  If you would like to improve your piping skills our Cupcake piping day is the ideal course.
• Place one cake on top of the other.

Finishing touches

• Place your cake onto a pretty plate or cake board.
• Dust the top with icing sugar.

and enjoy!

• Victoria sponge cake is delicious and is at it's best eaten the day it is made.
• Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.