Importance Score: 20 / 100 🔵
Classic Victoria Sandwich Cake: A Mary Berry Recipe for Mother’s Day Baking
Prepare a delightful Victoria sandwich cake with this straightforward baking recipe, perfect for celebrating Mother’s Day, or treating mums, grandmothers, and aunties. Inspired by renowned baker Mary Berry, this guide helps you create a scrumptious layered sponge cake filled with classic strawberry jam and luscious whipped double cream, finished with a delicate dusting of sugar for an elegant touch. While the ingredient list appears simple, Mary Berry’s recipe highlights the crucial role of one specific component – chilled baking spread.
The Secret to a Perfect Sponge
The celebrated baking expert suggests that the key to an exceptional sponge cake is incorporating 225g of baking spread directly from the refrigerator, mixed on a low speed. Traditional cake-making often involves allowing butter or baking spread to reach room temperature before use, making this technique notably different.
Despite initial reservations, following this method yielded impressive sponge layers that were remarkably moist and exhibited a superior rise compared to previous attempts.
A minor alteration was made to the final presentation, opting for icing sugar instead of caster sugar for dusting the cake’s top.
Ingredients
- Four free-range eggs
- 225g caster sugar
- 225g self-raising flour
- Two teaspoons baking powder
- 225g chilled baking spread, plus extra for greasing
- Quality strawberry jam
- Icing sugar, for dusting
Baking Method
Preparation
Begin by preheating your oven to 180C (160C fan/Gas Mark 4). Grease and line two 20cm sandwich cake tins.
Creating the Sponge
Employ a simple all-in-one technique for the sponge. In a large mixing bowl, crack in the eggs, followed by the sugar, flour, baking powder, and chilled baking spread.
Use an electric hand whisk on a slow setting to combine the ingredients until smooth. Alternatively, a wooden spoon can be used, though it will require more mixing time.
Mixing Tips
For those using electric mixers (hand or stand), be cautious not to overmix. Overmixing can lead to the cake collapsing during baking due to excessive air incorporation, compromising its structure.
Dividing and Baking
Distribute the batter evenly between the prepared tins. While precision isn’t essential, kitchen scales can ensure an exact division if desired.
Use a spatula to thoroughly scrape all the mixture from the bowl and gently smooth the surface of the batter in each tin.
Position both tins on the middle shelf of the preheated oven and bake for approximately 30 minutes. Check for doneness after 20 minutes.
Checking for Doneness
The cakes are ready when they achieve a rich golden-brown hue and begin to slightly retract from the sides of the tins. Gently press the center; if it springs back, the sponges are baked through.
Cooling and Assembly
Allow the sponges to cool in their tins for 10 minutes before inverting them onto a wire rack to cool completely.
Once fully cooled, spread whipped cream on one sponge layer and jam on the other. Carefully assemble the cake by placing one layer atop the other and finish with a generous dusting of icing sugar.