An Old Fashioned Victoria Sandwich

There always seems to be a lot to celebrate in the summer - exam results, graduations and the end of school. There are lots of home-coming celebrations happening too, whether it be returning from university or school, or coming back from a holiday. When such occasions arise, it's always nice to have a welcoming, incredibly English, Victoria sponge cake waiting...

There are tonnes and tonnes of variations on this recipe online, one to suit every size cake dish and every type of oven. This version makes a neatly sized cake for tins which are about 20cm in diameter. Do shop around if your tins are a different size to avoid tears and burnt cake.

This is a very simple version, but once you have the basics down you can tart up your cake with whatever you want.. within reason!


Ingredients
100g self raising flour
100g sugar
100g butter
2 eggs
Good quality jam for the middle

Method
1. Preheat your oven to 180C
2. GREASE and LINE your baking tins with BUTTER and GREASEPROOF PAPER (it's an easily forgotten step, but a very necessary one!)
3. Cream the butter and sugar together (use an electric whisk for ease.)
4. Beat in the eggs
5. Add the sugar and flour and stir together using a metal spoon until it has all blended nicely together and forms 'a soft dropping consistency.'
6. Spread into your mixture evenly between your tins and smooth over the tops.
7. Bake in the middle of the oven for 20 - 25mins.
You can check if they're done by inserting a metal skewer in, and if it comes out clean the cake's done. Or, lightly pressing the tops and if they're springy, they're also done.

Fill your cake with your jam (good quality jam really does make all the difference) and whatever takes your fancy.

You could make a simple butter cream by blending butter and icing sugar together - the quantities are easily guessed!)