52 Cakes: Victoria Sponge Cake

(We devoured our Victoria Sponge without even taking any of our own pics!)

I learned a new recipe recently for a specific occasion, Girl Scout World Thinking Day. Thinking Day is celebrated by Scouts around the world on February 22, but my troops celebrated early this year on February 5 due to my surgery the following week.

I wanted to make a traditional English tea cake, and you can't get much more traditional than the Victoria Sponge Cake. The Victoria Sponge Cake was named after Queen Victoria, who favored a slice of this cake with her tea. Since my Scouts were celebrating with an 'Around the World' Tea Party, I thought the Victoria Sponge would be the perfect treat to represent a very proper British tea tradition.

I've made the cake twice already, and I personally love it and so did my Girl Scouts! It's super-easy and requires no fancy decoration. In fact, the Sponge Cake is never iced or decorated beyond a dusting of powdered sugar on top.

Victoria Sponge Cake Recipe

Cake Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1 cup sugar
2 cup flour
2 tsp. baking powder
4 eggs

Filling Ingredients:
1 cup whipping cream
2 tsp. sugar
raspberry jam

1. Cream the butter until light. Slowly add the sugar. Beat until light and fluffy.
2. Add eggs one at a time and beat well.
3. Fold in the sifted flour and baking powder.
4. Pour mixture into 2 prepared 8-inch round pans.
5. Bake 25-30 minutes at 375 degrees until the cake pullsgently from sides or cake tester remains clean.
6. Cool in pans for 10 minutes. Cool completely on wire rack.
7. Whip cream and sugar to soft peaks.
8. Place doily on cake plate. Put one cake layer on doily.
9. Spread with raspberry jam and top with whipped cream.
10. Place second layer bottom side up onto the filling.
11. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Garnish with fresh raspberries and mint leaves.

My Notes: Traditionally, you can use any flavor jam. I used cherry-blackberry jam.

Recipe from www.azcakerecipes.com
Photo from istockphoto.com