Victoria Sandwich

OH MY GOSH, the Great British Baking Show continues to blow my mind with each and every delicious and heartwarming season! The newest season on Netflix is a joy and inspires me to try new and unique desserts (puddings) and cookies (biscuits) and cakes (sponges)! My most recent adventure is the Victoria Sandwich, a delicious sponge (cake) filled with jam and double cream (whipped cream). I hope you enjoy this simple recipe from Mary Berry as much as we have!

The sandwich filling- strawberry jam and fresh cream- divine!

• 4 eggs

• 8 ounces of sugar

• 8 ounces of self-rising flour

• 2 teaspoons of baking powder

• 8 ounces of butter at room temperature

• Strawberry jam

• 2 cups of whipped cream

The assembled beauty!

Notes:

It is absolutely best to weigh, rather than measure, the ingredients.

• The butter must be very room temperature.

• The oven temperature conversion from 180 celsius, the British suggested temperature, is 356 Fahrenheit. I have a digital gas convection oven so I was able to set the temperature at 356. Though I cannot guarantee it, I suspect a traditional oven set at 350 will also work.

• Whipped cream is the easiest thing in the world to make: pour 2 cups of heavy whipping cream into a mixing bowl and beat with a whisk until thick. I usually add about 2 tablespoons of powdered sugar for a smidge of sweetness and make this in my KitchenAid mixer.

1. Preheat the oven. Grease 2-8 inch round cake tins with butter and line the bottom with a circle of parchment.

2. Using a mixer, add the eggs and beat just a bit. Add the sugar, flour, baking powder, and butter and beat until well combined.

3. Divide the mixture evenly among the two tins and smooth the tops. (I weighed this to ensure accuracy.)

4. Bake for about 25 minutes but keep an eye on it at around 20 minutes. When the cakes are golden and pulling away from the sides of the tins they are ready to come out.

5. Cool them in the tins for about 5 minutes, then remove them to cooling racks until completely cool.

6. Place one cake upside down on a plate and spread with jam. Pipe, or spread, the whipped cream on top of the jam. Top with the other layer and sprinkle with sugar.