Victoria sponge

Ingredients

For 8 portions

• 🌾 200g flour
• 🍚 200g sugar
• 🧈 14 Tbsp butter
• 🍳 4 medium egg
• 🍚 2 Tsp baking powder
• 🥛 2 Tbsp milk, whole
• 🥄 1 Tsp vanilla extract
• 🥣 4 Tbsp jam
• 🥛 150ml heavy cream

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (fan 160 °C). Grease and line the bases of two 20 cm sandwich tins.
2. Beat the softened butter and sugar together until pale, light and fluffy (3–5 minutes with an electric mixer).
3. Beat in the eggs one at a time, adding a spoonful of flour with the last egg if the mixture looks like it might curdle. Stir in the vanilla extract.
4. Sift the flour and baking powder together, then fold gently into the mixture with a large metal spoon. Add the milk to loosen if needed – the batter should drop easily from the spoon.
5. Divide evenly between the tins and level the tops. Bake for 20–25 minutes until golden, springy to the touch, and a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
6. Cool in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
7. Whip the cream to soft peaks. Spread one sponge with the jam, then the whipped cream. Place the second sponge on top and dust with a little extra sugar if desired.