The ultimate Victoria sponge cake

Light and fluffy vanilla sponges sandwiched together with a thick, velvety smooth buttercream, strawberry jam and piles of fresh berries. This is a classic and easy recipe with simple ingredients and techniques that's absolutely effortless to decorate beautifully.

This recipe can also be made into 12 cupcakes.

Time to prepare : 20 minutes

Time to bake : 25 - 30 minutes

Servings : 12 slices

Ingredients

220g butter, softened

220g caster sugar

4 eggs

220g self-raising flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 tbsp milk

6 heaped tbsp strawberry or raspberry jam

Buttercream

150g butter

300g icing sugar, sieved

1 tbsp milk

1 tsp vanilla

Pinch of salt

To garnish: fresh strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries, mint sprigs or edible flowers.

Method

1. Pre-heat a fan oven to 170ºC. Grease and line 2 x 8" (20cm) cake tins with baking paper.

2. In a mixing bowl, sieve in the flour, baking powder and salt and stir to mix.

3. In a separate bowl use an electric mixer (or standing mixer with paddle attachment) to beat the softened butter until it's pale and fluffy. Add in the sugar and mix together until smooth. Add in the eggs one at a time and mix together again.

4. Add the creamed butter, sugar and eggs in with the dry ingredients and add in the vanilla and milk. Fold together until just combined.

5. Pour the cake batter into the prepared tins, splitting the batter evenly between both, use the back of a spoon or spatula to smooth the surfaces out.

6. Bake in the oven on the centre rack for about 25 - 30 minutes until the sponges are golden. The sponges are ready when they have a soft spring back when gently pushed with fingertips and a metal knife or skewer comes out with no raw batter when inserted into the middle. It's okay if there's a few crumbs but we don't want any wet or streaky batter (this means the sponges need to be baked for a little longer).

7. Leave the sponges to cool in their tins until cool enough to touch, then remove them from their tins and place the sponges on a wire cooling rack. This cake is best assembled and decorated once it's completely cooled to room temperature (otherwise the buttercream melts off).

8. To make the buttercream, add the butter to a mixing bowl and use an electric mixer (or standing mixer with paddle attachment) to beat the butter until it's pale and fluffy. Add in the sieved icing sugar and continue to beat together on a low speed until smooth. Add in the vanilla and milk and mix again until you're happy with the consistency. You can add more milk 1/2 tbsp at a time if you want to loosen the mix.

9. To assemble the cake, spoon 1/3 of the buttercream frosting on the top of one of the sponges and smooth it out using the back of the spoon, so that it evenly covers the sponge. This will be the bottom layer.

10. Spoon over the jam (you can warm it in a microwave or saucepan over a low heat if it's straight from the fridge and 'set') and add a few smaller or cut berries on top of the jam.

11. Sandwich the second sponge on top and gently press down. Spoon the remaining buttercream frosting over the top sponge, smoothing it out using the back of a spoon so that it reaches the cake edges. Pile on fresh berries, starting with the big ones first and filling in the gaps with smaller ones, mint leaves, edible flowers or any other garnishes.

Nutritional Information

(per frosted slice)

505 calories

5g protein, 40g carbs, 36g fat

Good to know:

• Use any flavoured jam or other fillings such as marmalade or lemon curd.

• This recipe is for 2 x 8" circular cake tins, different sized or shaped baking tins may require a different baking time.

• You could also bake cupcakes instead. This recipe should make 12 cupcakes, fill liners 3/4 of the way full with the batter and bake at 170ºC for 15 minutes or until golden and springy to touch. The buttercream frosting is enough to pipe onto 12 cupcakes.

• The buttercream can be simply spread or piped on the cake. If you want to pipe it on, mix the buttercream to a similar consistency to toothpaste, smooth but still holds it's shape.

• Keep this as a 2-layered cake or slice each sponge in half to create a 4-layered sponge cake.

• To fill and decorate a 4-layered sponge cake, multiple the buttercream ingredients by 1.5x.

• The assembled cake can be stored at room temperature for a few hours or in the fridge for up to 3 days in an airtight container or cake tin. Remove from the fridge at least 30 minutes before eating it to allow it to come to room temperature - cold buttercream is nowhere near as delicious as when served at room temperature.

• Sponges can be baked ahead of time. Either store in an airtight container at room temperature once cooled for up to 3 days or freeze each sponge for up to 3 months. Wrap each cooled sponge in cling film and then again in aluminium foil before freezing. Defrost fully at room temperature for at least 4 hours before decorating.

• The buttercream frosting can also be prepared in advance, wrap the bowl with cling film and store in the fridge for up to 3 days. Remove from the fridge 30 minutes before you need it to allow it to come to soften and be spreadable or pipeable. Freeze buttercream for up to 3 months by spooning it into an airtight container. Defrost overnight in the fridge or at room temperature for at least 3 hours.

• Vegetarian.