Victoria sponge: The timeless dessert approved by royalty

You won't be surprised by Queen Victoria's favourite dessert. It's a sponge cake layered with whipped cream or cream frosting and strawberry jam decorated with fresh strawberries. In the Queen's time, the cake was even simpler. Queen Victoria enjoyed a simple sponge cake layered with strawberry jam for her afternoon tea.

This classic British cake originates from a simple cake that can be compared to a pound cake. However, at that time, baked goods were becoming lighter and fluffier. As noted by the author of the Past in the Kitchen blog, this was all thanks to baking powder. It was invented by Alfred Bird in 1843. Unfortunately, he didn't patent it, and the history of baking powder is quite complicated. But it was thanks to this powder that cakes could rise and gain a lighter structure. That's why it's called Victoria sponge (or sponge cake). How to make such a cake? The recipe is so easy!.

Ingredients:

                  
• 170 grams of all-purpose flour,
• 1 and 1/4 teaspoons of baking powder,
• 170 grams of butter,
• 115 grams of caster sugar,
• 3 eggs.

Additionally:

              
• 240 millilitres of heavy cream (30%), chilled,
• strawberry jam for layering,
• fresh strawberries for decoration,
• icing sugar for sprinkling.

Preparation method:

                          
1. Cream the butter and sugar together until pale and fluffy.
2. Add the eggs one by one, continuing to mix continuously.
3. Add the flour mixed with the baking powder and mix.
4. Transfer the batter to a 20-centimetre cake pan lined with parchment paper. Bake for 20-25 minutes at 180ºC. Let it cool.
5. Whip the heavy cream until stiff peaks form, optionally sweeten with icing sugar.
6. Cut the sponge cake into two layers. Fill them with jam and whipped cream.
7. Decorate the cake with fresh fruits and icing sugar.