My best ever bakes

Artisan breads, sensational pies, classic cakes and some divine desserts – Bake Off judge Paul Hollywood has brought his favourite recipes together in a mouthwatering new book

VICTORIA SANDWICH

If you’re new to baking, this should be your very first cake. If you get it right, everything else will be easy. You can make a Victoria sandwich using the all-in-one method, where you mix everything together in a bowl at the same time, but I encourage you to cream the fats and sugar together before adding the eggs, flour and raising agent, as you’ll learn a lot about baking this way.

Makes 8-10 slices

● 4 large eggs (in their shells)

● About 270g caster sugar

• About 270g self-raising flour

• About 135g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra to grease the tins

• About 135g soft margarine For the zesty herb crust

• 125g raspberry jam (goodquality)

• A little caster sugar, to sprinkle

Heat your oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Grease two 20cm sandwich tins and line the bases with baking paper. Weigh the eggs (in their shells), then weigh the same quantity of sugar and flour. For the butter and the margarine, you need half the weight of the eggs.

In a large bowl, cream the butter, margarine and sugar together with an electric whisk until pale, and light and fluffy. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat again.

Beat the eggs together in a jug, then gradually add to the mixture, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and mix again. Sift the flour over the surface of the mixture and gently fold in, using a large metal spoon.

Divide the mixture

between the tins. To ensure the cakes are exactly the same size you can weigh the cake mixture into each tin. Gently smooth the surface with the back of the spoon to level it.

Bake in the centre of the oven for 25 minutes until risen, golden brown and the cakes spring back in the centre when lightly touched with a fingertip. They should be slightly shrunken away from the edges of the tin. Leave in the tins for 5 minutes, then remove to a wire rack. Cool completely.

When cold, sandwich the cakes together with the jam and sprinkle with caster sugar.