Victoria sandwich recipe

1. 1

   Preheat the oven to 180C/Gas mark 4.

2. 2

   Sift the flour and salt together into a bowl and put aside.

3. 3

   In a large mixing bowl, using either a wooden spoon or a hand-held electric whisk, beat the butter to a cream.

4. 4

   Add the caster sugar and continue to beat until the mixture is very light and creamy (this will take about 5 minutes with a hand-held electric whisk and up to 10 minutes using a wooden spoon).

5. 5

   The lighter and fluffier the butter and sugar mix is, the easier it will be to blend in the eggs, which in turn helps to prevent the mixture curdling.

6. 6

   Add the eggs, about a quarter at a time, adding 1 tbsp of the weighed-out flour with each addition and beating thoroughly before adding the next.

7. 7

   Beat in the vanilla extract with the last of the egg.

8. 8

   Sift in the rest of the flour, half at a time, and use a large metal spoon to carefully fold it in.

9. 9

   The mixture should drop off the spoon easily when tapped against the side of the bowl.

10. 10

    If it doesn't, then add a spoonful or two of hot water.

11. 11

    Divide the mixture equally between the prepared sandwich tins (or spoon it all into the larger cake tin if using), spreading it out lightly and evenly with the back of a spoon.

12. 12

    Bake in the centre of the oven for about 25 minutes or until the cake(s) are lightly golden and spring back into shape when gently pressed with a finger.

13. 13

    Leave the cake(s) in the tin(s) for a couple of minutes before turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

14. 14

    (If you've baked a single cake, once cooled, cut it horizontally into two equal layers.)

15. 15

    When cold, spread one cake layer with the jam, place the second on top and dust lightly with caster sugar.

16. 16

    The cake will keep for 5 days in an airtight tin.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.