Baking has become a lifeline for many people who are bored and struggling in lockdown. But if the thought of making more banana bread sends you into a panic, fear not, the royals have come to the rescue! To mark what would have been one of the dates of the royal garden parties, Buckingham Palace pastry chefs have shared their recipe for a traditional Victoria Sponge – which was named after Queen Victoria, who regularly ate a slice of sponge cake with her tea each afternoon. Check out their simple step by step recipe below…
Make your own royal-inspired Victoria Sponge
INGREDIENTS:
Ingredients for a traditional Victoria Sponge
- 3 eggs
- 150g caster sugar
- 150g unsalted butter
- 150g sieved self-raising flour
- 1/2 tsp of vanilla essence Jam (strawberry or raspberry)
Ingredients buttercream:
- 150g softened unsalted butter
- 220g sieved icing sugar
- 1/3 vanilla pod or vanilla essence
INSTRUCTIONS:
Instructions for traditional Victoria Sponge:
Step 1
Preheat the oven to 180C (375F, gas mark 4)
Step 2
Grease and line two 8 inch cake tins (if you only own one tin, you can bake the sponge and slice in half)
Step 3
Cream the caster sugar, vanilla essence and softened unsalted butter until light and fluffy
Step 4
In a separate bowl whisk the eggs
Step 5
Gradually add the beaten eggs, a little at a time, to avoid the mixture curdling
Step 6
Sieve the flour and fold into the mixture
Step 7
Divide the cake mix between the two cake tins and smooth
Step 8
Place on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for approximately 20 minutes, until the cake appears golden brown
Step 9
Insert a skewer and ensure it comes out clean
Step 10
Remove the sponges from their tins and leave to cool
Method Buttercream:
Step 1
Cream the softened butter with the sieved icing sugar and seeds from the vanilla pod (or vanilla essence)
Assembling the cake:
Step 1
Ensure that both sponges are completely cold before spreading a layer of jam onto the surface of one sponge
Step 2
Spread a thick layer of buttercream on top of the jam (if you prefer this can be done first)
Step 3
Gently place the second sponge on top and gently press down
Step 4
Sprinkle with icing sugar and serve with a pot of fresh English tea!
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