Baking Advent Calendar day 21

For Baking Advent Calendar day 21 we’re having one of the classics. A Victoria Sponge with cream and strawberries. Unfortunately I didn’t get too many opportunities to bake for my mother but this was always one of her favourites, the picture is of one that I baked for her 80th birthday. Mum didn’t want much fuss made about her birthday and wasn’t keen on letting people know that she’d reached this landmark age. However as our celebratory tea was only going to be with family I felt safe to put the 80 decoration on it.

Sponge is a very light cake made with flour, eggs and sugar. in some recipes it’s leavened with baking powder. It’s thought to be one of the first cakes not to have involved yeast and the first references to it are in a cookbook dating from 1615. The version that we know today dates from the Victorian era and the invention of baking powder in 1843.  I’d always hoped that the name meant it was Queen Victoria’s favourite cake but apparently that not’s that case.

The recipe that I always use is Mary Berry’s and as she’s the Queen of baking that somehow feels quite appropriate.

Ingredients for the sponge

• 180g unsalted butter, room temperature
• 180g caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• tsp vanilla extract
• 180g self raising flour
• 1tbsp warm water

Ingredients for the filling

• 225g double cream
• 2.5 tbsp icing sugar
• 1tsp vanilla extract
• 200g strawberries

Method

• Preheat the oven to gas mark 4 and grease two 20cm cakes tins.
• Beat the butter until it is the consistency of mayonnaise. Then beat in the sugar, just adding a couple of table spoons at a  time.
• Put the eggs and vanilla into a small bowl and mix with a fork. Then add this to the butter mixture as you beat it. 
• Sift the flour onto the combined mixture and fold it in. After a couple of folds add the tablespoon of warm water.
• Divide the batter between the tins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.
• After baking leave in the tins for a few minutes before transferring to a rack to cool.
• When you’re ready assemble whip the cream with the icing sugar and vanilla.
• Put one cake on a plate, spread with cream and some of the strawberries. Put the other cake on top and finish off with more strawberries and cream.