One of my biggest cravings this pregnancy has been anything with cream in it. Cream donuts, cream cake, cream sponges, cream pastries. I have always been a lover of cream but not as much as I am right now!

I bought a deliciously moist sponge cake from a bakery about a week back and it inspired me to bake one myself.

Sponge cakes are intimidating because it is so hard to get the texture right. I started with one recipe that I accidentally overcooked and it was too dry. I then came to this recipe which was wayy better! The sponge cake is lightly and delicate with a lovely vanilla flavour.  It is also relatively easy as long as you follow the steps correctly.

Top tips:

• Have all your ingredients ready and the oven pre-heating before you start mixing so the mixture does not sit for long.
• Sift your flour a few times so that it is light and airy.
• Use the right sized eggs, otherwise it will come out with a slightly eggy taste
• Mix the flour in VERY gently either by hand or fold in with a spatula.
• Do not open the oven to check on it as this will cause it to deflate.
• Pull it out of the oven when it as soon as it is golden and bounces back when lightly touched as you really don’t want to overcook it.

Fill it with strawberry jam and lashing of whipped cream and you have the best afternoon tea treat!

Enjoy x x

Victoria Sponge Cake

Ingredients:

200g unsalted butter, at room temperature

200g caster sugar

1 tsp of pure vanilla extract

4 medium sized eggs

200g sifted self-raising flour

Strawberry jam to serve

300ml thickened cream

Method:

1. Get all your ingredients ready and pre-heat oven to 190 C normal bake and 170 C fan-forced. Grease and line two 20cm tins with baking paper or for a higher sponge, use smaller tins.
2. Place the butter, sugar and vanilla extract in a mixing bowl and beat until smooth and creamy. Gradually add in eggs, one at a time and beating after each addition.
3.  Fold in the flour GENTLY until mixture is just combined. Divide batter evenly between both cake tins and smooth out.
4.  Bake for 20minutes until golden brown and cake springs back when lightly touched. Leave to cool in tins for 5 minutes before turning out on to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. Spread strawberry jam over bottom layer and then layer whipped cream over top. Gently place the other layer of sponge on top and dust with icing sugar and fresh strawberries!

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