Thought about...HOW HOME-MADE CAKES GIVE CHEER

Victoria (or your favourite Monarch) Sponge

This is an enjoyable way to spend your après Diagnosis Murders or Kitchen chatting time. I chose a soundtrack of Gogol Bordello- unusual choice I know, for this pick-me-up treat and the sugar content should have that covered.

Cake cooling, and now listening to a charity-find of Vanessa Carlton (A thousand miles girlie ‘…sophisticated songwriter’ Billboard) I will relay what must be a relatively safe option for your in-law/celebration/playing afternoon tea attempting.

You will need 

2x 20cm diameter sandwich tins (4cm deep although the sponge won’t fill that) 

Cooling rack.

CAKE

6 eggs

175g Caster sugar

150g SF Flour

90g butter (and extra for greasing-or you can use oil for that)

BUTTER ICING

100g softened butter/baking marg. Or equal parts cream cheese and butter to 100g.

225g icing sugar

1 whole lemon rind

Juice of ½ lemon

Work at a relatively quick pace to keep air bubbles in sponge and have a lighter finish

1.       Preheat your oven to 180 (170 fan oven). Ovens should be preheated to ensure start temp and time are accurate and safe especially in high-protein/frozen products.

2.       Cut two grease-proof paper disks for the bases of the tins. A little blob of oil/butter will stop this from moving. Place in tins and grease surface and edges.

3.       Add sugar and to cracked eggs in your food processor or mixing bowl.

4.       Whisk for 10mins using electric appliance as this is some muscle-building stuff otherwise. You are looking for this runny yellow mix to nr triple in size and go a pale creamy colour).

5.       Melt the butter and cool.

6.       Take turns adding sieved flour and butter alternately and folding-in with a wooden spoon. Don’t whisk or you will break the established bubbles and as the flour will sink, scoop from the bottom of the bowl to mix in.

7.       Pour mix evenly between the tins, make sure it’s level. Place in the oven for 20-25 mins. Be cautious with timing, check nearer to 20mins- I have ‘browned’ many cakes with over cautiousness/going to the loo mid-bake/chatting.

8a. Sieve icing sugar into bowl, add the butter, rind of 1 lemon and juice of half.

b.   On a slow speed to start electric whisk or hand beat these together.    

c.   Chill mix for now.

  9. Remove cake from oven when ready and turn-out onto a cooling rack and leave for near to 20mins. At this point let me say that if your friends are due over DO NOT hurry this stage and throw on your buttercream, it will melt and spill over the edge in a clear runny mess.

  10.When cool, spread buttercream on one cake base. Melt 2tbsp of jam in the microwave for 30seconds to aid spreading and then smooth onto other cake half.

  11. Place the jammy half onto the butter cream and transfer to a plate for stability.

  12.   Cool again if necessary placing butter cream in fridge.

  13.   After 10mins, smooth butter cream on the top, spread working from the inside outward for evenness. To finish work from the outer edge turning the plate and keeping your spatula/fork still for an even appearance.

TA DA, enjoy your hard-work.