Victoria Sponge Cake

Preheat the oven to 180°. Grease two 20-cm sandwich cake tins and line with grease proof paper or baking paper.

Cream the butter and sugar together in a mixing bowl using a wooden spoon or a hand-held mixer until the mixture is pale in colour and light and fluffy.

Add the eggs a little at a time, beating well after each addition. Sift the flour and salt and carefully add to the mixture, folding in with a metal spoon or a spatula. Divide the mixture between the tins and smooth over with the spatula.

Place them on the same shelf in the centre of the preheated oven and bake for about 30 minutes until well risen, golden brown and beginning to shrink from the sidesof the tin.

Remove from the oven and allow to stand for about 1 minute. Loosen the cakes from around the edge of the tins using a palette knife. Turn the cakes out onto a clean tea towel, remove the paper and invert them onto a wire rack (this prevents the wire rack from marking the top of the cakes).

When completely cool, sandwich together with the jam and sprinkle with the sugar.