Victoria Sponge Cake

Method

• step 1

  Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.

• step 2

  Gently heat the butter in a pan and brush two 6in-7in/15cm-17.5cm cake tins with the melted butter. Line the bottom of the two cake tins with a circle of greaseproof paper.

• step 3

  In a large bowl, cream together the butter

• step 4

  and sugar until pale and creamy,

• step 5

  using an electric whisk or a wooden spoon.

• step 6

  Beat well to get lots of air into

• step 7

  the mixture (this should take a couple of minutes).

• step 8

  Beat in the eggs one at a time. Add a tablespoon

• step 9

  of flour if the mixture curdles.

• step 10

  Fold in the flour using a large metal spoon. Be

• step 11

  careful not to over-mix it.

• step 12

  Pour the mixture equally between the two cake

• step 13

  tins and level off the top with a spatula.

• step 14

  Make a slight dip in the centre with the tip of the

• step 15

  spatula if you don't want them to be

• step 16

  pointed in the middle.

• step 17

  Place in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes

• step 18

  or until the cakes spring back when pressed gently

• step 19

  with a finger and are pale golden in colour.

• step 20

  Remove from the tins after about 5-10 minutes and

• step 21

  cool on a wire rack for about 30 minutes.