My adaptation of the traditional Victoria sandwich, is baked using the (all in one) method, and this sponge should cut into 8 pieces.
You will need.
6 oz ¾ cup , 175 g, soft butter or margarine at room temperature.
6 oz,1 cup 175 g, caster sugar.
6 oz, 1 ½ cups 175 g, self-raising flour.
3 medium sized eggs, at room temperature.
1 and a half level teaspoons of baking powder.
A few drops of vanilla essence or extract.
Set the oven to gas mark 4, 350 f, 180 c, 160 fan.
With a little extra butter or margarine, Grease then line the bases of 2 7 inch (18 cm) diameter 1 and a half to 2 inches (4 and a half to 5 cm) deep.
sandwich cake tins with greaseproof or silicone (bakewell) paper, or a ready-made cake tin liner, then lightly grease the paper again. (see glossary, lining
cake tins) for further information.
Sift the flour and baking powder into a large mixing bowl.
Weigh out the sugar, and butter or margarine, and add them to the bowl.
Break each egg separately into a small bowl to make sure that it is fresh, before transferring them into the large mixing bowl with the other ingredients.
Add a few drops of vanilla essence, but cover the top of the bottle with the tip of one finger to prevent too much coming out all at once, remember that
vanilla extract is less concentrated. If you prefer you can transfer the essence or extract into a clean, glass, dropper bottle and dispense it by inserting the glass dropper into the bottle, squeezing the bulbous rubber top to draw up a small amount, then squeezing its contence into the mixing bowl. Please be careful though, because even using this method it is still possible to dispense too much. It might be a good idea to monitor the amount being dispensed with a finger.
Using an electric hand mixer, beat the ingredients together well. When thoroughly mixed, which should only take a few minutes, it will be a little bit
softer than a normal light sponge, what's called a (soft dropping consistency), which means that it will fall easily from the spoon when it is shaken lightly
over the bowl.
Transfer the mixture, a tablespoon at a time, alternately, into the two prepared tins.
Level the top of each tin with a flat bladed palette knife by keeping the blade flat (horizontal), and skimming it across the top, from edge to edge, giving
the tin a quarter turn each time to evenly distribute the mixture.
Transfer the tins to the centre shelf of the pre-heated oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes, by which time your cake should be firm but springy
to the touch and shrinking away from the sides of the tin slightly, (see glossary is my cake cooked) for more information.
Don't be tempted to check on the progress of your sponge until it has been in the oven for at least 25 minutes or a little earlier if you are using a fan
oven.
Leave the cakes in the tin to cool for just a couple of minutes before tipping them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Don't forget to remove the lining paper before spreading to or 3 tablespoons of strawberry jam, over the base of one of the sponges with a flat bladed
palette knife. Now sandwich the two sponges together, pressing gently all the way round to create a good seal.
Dust the top of the cake with a little sifted icing sugar before storing in an airtight tin. This cake will keep for 3 to 4 days, but my guess is that
you will want to eat it straight away while the sponge is moist.
This recipe is from my friend Susan Pallet in Lancastershire, England. I am sure you can gather this by reading the instructions. This is a great little
snack to have with a cup of tea or coffee in mid afternoon! Kay