Victoria Sponge Cake

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Melt the butter or cooking margarine until soft – but not runny – in a large mixing bowl.
Mix in the caster sugar. Add the flour and eggs, mixing well, then add the vanilla essence. You can swap out the vanilla for another essence if you are not a fan.  

Pour the mixture evenly into two greased and lined cake tins.
Place in the oven for 20-25 minutes until the cakes have risen and are lightly golden. To test if they are ready, insert a skewer into the middle of the cake – if it comes out clean, the cake is ready.

It is one of my favourite times in the baking as I love the smell of the freshly baked cake. Very tempting to take a taste.

So, once temptation has passed and the cake has cooled, spread the conserve over the top of one of the cakes.
To make the icing, beat together the icing sugar and butter, slowly stirring in two or three teaspoons of boiling water or milk. Be careful not to make the icing too runny.

Spread the icing over the top of the jam, and then carefully place the other cake on top. Sift the icing sugar over the top of the cake, then serve. If you like this recipe let us know. 

Ps, you can always use cream in the sandwich or have no icing. It is whatever you decide. No rules baking. Also if you want to use a solid dairy free margarine or spread . Whichever is your own 'go-to'. I bake in the house every Saturday for my own DF hubby using a DF margarine. If using a spread don't soften as it's already quite soft . You could use coconut oil (solid) but I find the flavour overpowers.

The Foods of Athenry is a gluten free bakery in the west of Ireland. We have a complete range of baked goods here which we sell around the world. You can shop locally using our store finder or buy online from our online store with free shipping over €29.90 to Ireland and €50 to the United Kingdom.