Show-stopping Victoria Sponge Cake
There’s nothing more quintessentially British than a Victoria sponge cake
- 335g self-raising flour
- 335g unsalted butter, softened
- 335g golden caster sugar
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 6 large eggs
- 2 lemons, grated zest
- 1 lemon, juice
- The Great British Pantry Strawberry Preserve
- 200g fresh raspberries
- 100g fresh blueberries
- 100g fresh strawberries
- 600ml double cream
1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/160°C fan/gas 4. Grease three 25cm round loose bottomed sandwich tins and line the bases with greaseproof paper.
2. Sift the flour into a large bowl and add the butter, sugar, baking powder, eggs, lemon zest and juice. Mix together until smooth, fluffy and combined.
3. Divide two-thirds of the mixture between two of the tins. Add half of the raspberries to the last third of the mixture and mix them through, crushing some of the raspberries as you go. Put this mixture into the third tin.
4. Place the three tins in the oven and bake for 20 minutes until the sponges are risen and golden. The raspberry sponge may need another five minutes. Remove the tins from the oven and turn out the sponges on to a wire rack. Leave to cool.
5. Whip the double cream thick enough to hold its shape. Spoon the cream into a piping bag fitted with a round nozzle.
6. Spread a thick layer of The Great British Pantry Strawberry Preserve on to one of the plain sponges, then pipe a layer of double cream. Gently place the raspberry sponge on top.
7. Spread a thick layer of The Great British Pantry Strawberry Preserve on the raspberry sponge, then pipe a layer of double cream. Gently place the last plain sponge on top, push down gently and check the layers are even.
8. Top with the leftover cream, strawberries, raspberries, and blueberries to create a Union Jack.
