One of the most important questions to ask when wanting to create a Victorian Sponge Cake is whether to sandwich jam or fresh fruit? Now, recipe after recipe has jam and yet here from the image above you can see I have dismissed that.

Before I get on to the why, let me say this weekend was preoccupied marshmallow roasting under the grill in the rather humid London air at Renee’s home and then with another see you later (I must stop making friends with travelers) as my ever lovely friend Pilar has departed London as a resident before returning as a short visitor on her way home to ‘Merica’.

So much time spent in East London has made me want to explore that side of the city more as it’s quirky and cool as I’ve explored plenty in my year here in West London.

Renee and I roasting marshmallows

Dinner

Fun Pilar

One reason for the use of fresh strawberries instead of jam came from people all noting the preference of fresh strawberries in their Victoria Sponge in the comments section of all the recipes I found. It was the one comment that kept cropping up and left me sure that mine would involve fresh strawberries.

So, if it’s not spring where you are or simply you have strawberry jam in the house then jam away, either way this cake is a one bowl concoction (a second bowl for the cream filling) and before you know it a slice could be on your plate and a forkful in your hand.

Note: Before you do anything ensure the butter, eggs and milk are room temperature. They have to be for this to work.

Victoria Sponge Cake
Adapted from Nigella Lawson via MummyinaHurry and BBC Good Food respectively
Serves 8

Ingredients:
Cake
1 1/3 cup flour
170 grams unsalted butter
3/4 cup superfine/caster sugar
3 large eggs
2 tablespoons milk (add a further 1-2 tablespoons if eggs are small to medium)
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Filling
100 grams butter, softened
1 cup 1 heaped tablespoon confectioners/icing sugar, sifted
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup strawberries, cored and halved

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 180°C/350F and greaseproof two springform cake tins, lining the bases with the greaseproof paper.

Place all ingredients into a bowl and combine with a hand mixer until well combined and smooth. If the mixture is a little too stiff add a further tablespoon or two to the mixture and combine.

Pour evenly into the cake tins and place in the oven for 25 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Remove and allow to cool in the tins for 5 minutes before removing and placing on cooling trays.

Meanwhile, place the butter into a bowl and whip with a hand mixer until smooth, adding in the sugar a little at a time to combine. Lastly, add in the extract and beat for a further 30 seconds.

Lay the strawberries cut side down on top of one half of the cakes then spread the filling over evenly. Lay the other cake on top and finish with a little confectioner’s sugar sifted over the top.

Refrigerate until serving.

Slice and enjoy.