Comfort food for the pandemic

So as I self isolate, I have been getting back in touch with my inner June Cleaver. When I was in England last summer I made it my business to try to find the perfect example of the Victoria Sponge, a wonderful tea cake consisting of raspberry jam and butter cream sandwiched between two layers of yellow cake. I found many wonderful examples and then spent some weeks trying to replicate them. I finally did it today and now have no one to share it with. If you want to make your own pandemic comfort confection, the recipe follows.

Victoria Sponge

Ingredients

Cake

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter at room temperature

1 cup +3 tablespoons sugar

4 large eggs at room temperature

1 1/4 tsp vanilla extract (this is not authentic but, trust me, you want to add this)

2 Cups Unbleached Self Rising flour. (No self rising flour? don’t despair I will tell you how to make your own later)

Filling

About 3/4 cup raspberry or strawberry jam (I used seedless raspberry fruit spread, and used less than 3/4 cup. It was more like one large heaping soup spoon full. Use your judgement here)

2/3 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

3/4 cup confectioners’ suger

2 tbsp warm water

Instructions

Prep:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit

No self rising flour? Sift or stir together in a bowl 2 cups unbleached all purpose flour, 1 teaspoon salt and 3 teaspoons baking powder. Set aside.

I will stop here and tell you that you should make sure the butter and eggs are at room temperature. Do not cheat on this or your cake will not turn out. I generally put my butter and eggs out first thing when I wake up, then go away and do other stuff for a few hours. You can even pre-mix your dry ingredients before going away. Do not rush this or your cake will be gummy or flat or both.

Lightly grease 2 8-inch cake pans and line the bottoms with wax paper or parchment. DO NOT USE BIGGER PANS. If you do your cakes will be too flat. Ask me how I know.

Now here are the steps to cake heaven:

In at least a medium sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until smooth. If you have a stand mixer use the medium speed. Scrape down the sides

Add the eggs one at a time, scraping the bottoms and sides of the bowl after each addition

Add the vanilla

Add the flour, beating on low speed until just combined. (On a stand mixer, use the stir setting). You will have a stiff batter. Do not be alarmed, this is a sturdy cake because you are making a sandwich.

Divide the batter evenly between the cake pans

Bake for 22 to 26 minutes until the layers start to pull away from the sides of the pan. Remove from the oven and let cool for two minutes or so, then turn out onto a rack to cool completely

While the cakes cool, make the butter cream:

Beat the 2/3 cup butter until smooth and then gradually beat in the confectioner’s sugar. Finally, beat in the water. If your cakes are still cooling, put the butter cream in the fridge and walk away. Do not try to fill the cakes until they are completely cool, or you will regret it. Ask me how I know.

Assemble the cake

Take one of the layers and flip it bottom side up onto a cake plate. (I put a doily or parchment round under that layer. If the layer has a slight mound in it so that it does not lay flat (and it probably will), just take a serrated knife, like a bread knife and slice it down. You don’t need to take off much, just run the knife across the top to level the cake before flipping it over.

Spread the base of that flipped layer with jam, then carefully spread the butter cream on top of the jam. Carefully place the second layer on top flat side down, and press down lightly.

To make it fancy, sift a little confectioners sugar on top . Now sit back and admire your handiwork.

Please make something lovely for your self while we are all confined to our houses. You might even want to leave slices for neighbors on their doorsteps.

Take care all, and watch this space for more culinary musings.