Victoria Sponge

My grandmother taught me that you could use stork instead of butter for a lighter, less dense sponge . Always use eggs that are room temperature and the best tip of all is to add the wet ingredients into the creamed butter & sugar in slow a gentle stream, take your time. Add the flour a spoonful at a time.

The Sponge

• 200g caster sugar

• 200g stork (butter can make for a heavy sponge)

• 4 eggs, beaten

• 200g self-r

aising 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

Or for a little more luxury, you can make Chantilly cream and quarter up fresh strawberries, fold together, gently. Don’t forget to spread a little of the strawberry jam on the bottom sponge.

• 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. 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.