Victoria Sponge

I love this quick and easy cake, you can be sitting down one minute, and then in 45 minutes have a cake on the table all be it, a bit warm.

Ingredients

For the cake

200g caster sugar

200g softened butter

4 egg, beaten

200g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp milk

For the filling

100g butter, softened

140g icing sugar, sifted

drop vanilla extract (optional)

half a 340g jar good-quality strawberry jam (we used Tiptree Little Scarlet)

icing sugar, to decorate

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Method

Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Butter two 20cm sandwich tins and line with non-stick baking paper. In a large bowl, beat all the cake ingredients together until you have a smooth, soft batter.

Divide the mixture between the tins, smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon, then bake for about 20 mins until golden and the cake springs back when pressed. Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

To make the filling, beat the butter until smooth and creamy, then gradually beat in icing sugar. Beat in vanilla extract if you’re using it. Spread the butter cream over the bottom of one of the sponges, top it with jam and sandwich the second sponge on top. Dust with a little icing sugar before serving. Keep in an airtight container and eat within 2 days.