Victoria Sponge Cake.... A Farm House Recipe

Victoria Sponge Cake.... two layers of sugar, eggs and butter filled with raspberry jam and, if you like, whipped cream. Dust on top with powdered sugar and serve with tangy raspberries and freshly whipped heavy cream. Queen Victoria had this as a favorite tea time cake. This traditional farm house  recipe weighs three eggs and uses that weight to measure sugar, flour and butter. Baking is chemistry and this is the old fashioned way to bake.

Victoria Sponge Cake

Portions: 6 to 8 slices from a 9 inch cake

Equipment:

Kitchen scale

Large bowl

9 inch cake pan

Sifter

Mixing spoons 

Parchment paper

Kitchen string

Ingredients:

3 large eggs

Unsalted butter

White granulated sugar

Self rising flour

1 teaspoon of vanilla

1/4 teaspoon of salt 

Raspberry or other fruit preserve jam

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 320 degrees F.
2. Grease one 9 inch round cake pan with vegetable shortening.
3. Using parchment paper, cut one round liner for the bottom inside of the cake pan and place on the bottom of the greased cake pan. 
   
4. Weigh the three eggs on the kitchen scale. This weight is the weight for all the other ingredients; flour, butter and sugar. All ingredients should be at room temperature.
5. Weigh out the sugar to the same weight as the 3 eggs.
6. Weigh out the flour to the same weight as the 3 eggs.
7. Weigh out the butter to the same weight as the 3 eggs.
8. Cream the butter until it is soft and smooth. Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl.
9. Beat the three eggs together until well mixed.
10. Mix in slowly 2 tablespoons of beaten egg, 1 tablespoon at a time, into the butter and sugar. With the last of the beaten egg add 1 tablespoon of flour to the sugar and butter mix. Add the vanilla and salt. 
11. Gently fold the remaining flour into the egg, sugar and butter mix. The mixture should be creamy and not thin. If the mixture is too thick add 1 1/2 tablespoons of milk.
12. Place the greased cake pan with the parchment paper liner on a flat even surface. Pour the cake batter into the pan and spread the batter evenly in the pan.
13. Place the cake pan in the middle of the oven and bake for 40 minutes. At 35 minutes insert a toothpick into the center of the cake. If it comes out clean remove from the oven and place on a cooling rack. If there is wet batter on the toothpick return the cake to the oven for another 5 to 10 minutes. Be careful not to burn the sides of the cake.
14. Remove the cake from the oven and, with both hands, hold the pan and gently tap it on the counter to help prevent the center of the cake from sinking. Cool for 10 to 15 minutes.
15. Place a cooling rack over the top of the cake pan and flip the cake pan over. 
16. Lift the cake pan off of the cake.
17. Gently remove the parchment paper from the bottom of the cake.
18. Place a cooling rack on the bottom of the cake and flip back over. Let the cake cool completely.
19. Cut a piece of kitchen string that will go around the cake twice. Put the cake string around the outside of the center of the cake, making sure that it is even all around. 
    
20. Holding one end of the string in each hand, cross the ends over your hands and very slowly keep pulling the string through the cake until the string is one straight line and pull it out of the cake. 
21. There will now be two layers for the cake. Brush off any crumbs form the sides of the cake layers.
22. The cake should be completely cool before spreading fruit preserve on the top of the bottom layer.
23. Place the top layer on the filling. Sift confectionary sugar lightly over the top of the cake.
24. Cut the sponge cake with a sharp cake knife or server.

Whipped Cream

Equipment:

Stainless steel bowl 

Electric mixer or whisk

Spetula

 Ingredients:

1 cup of heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup of white granulated sugar (if desired)

Instructions:

1. Put a stainless steel bowl into the freezer to become chilled
2. In the cold steel bowl pour one cup of heavy whipping cream. 
3. With a whisk or electric mixer beat the cream until is it thick and forms peaks. Add sugar if desired and beat into the whipped cream. 
4. The whipped cream will hold in the refrigerator before assembling the cake.
5. Whipped cream can be spread over the fruit preserve, as in this picture. The Victoria Sponge Cake filling may also be just whipped cream.