VICTORIA SPONGE
THIS should be renamed the Mary Sponge. The British classic is in her bones. Her first job was at an Electricity Board showroom, demonstrating how to make Victoria sponges in an electric oven. It has featured in the GBBO’s technical challenge, where Mary’s criteria are a substantial rise and a good crumb. MARY RECIPE Mary sometimes uses margarine because it gives a lighter sponge. There is no such wantoness in the recipe I used and 225g butter goes in with four eggs, self-raising flour and baking powder.
The cake takes ten minutes to make and 20 minutes to bake and I am beside myself when it comes out of the oven. It has risen magnificently – each sandwich 5cm high at its peak. Hurrah for Mary!
But it doesn’t stop there. Berry sandwiches the two cakes with piped buttercream and home-made raspberry jam, and although this cake is a labour of love, it’s worth it. It tastes buttery and familiar, like the best cakes from childhood, and received a hearty seal of approval from my daughter Sophia, eight, who declared it the best ever.
EASE 3/5 TASTE 5/5 PRUE RECIPE Prue’s sponge is a measly, mealy-mouthed affair. Although the self-raising flour is folded in, no extra baking powder is added, resulting in a pancake of a confection with each sandwich only 2.5cm high at its peak. It’s sandwiched together with shop-bought raspberry jam alone. No cream or icing.
EASE 4/5 TASTE 3/5