My favourite cake is a good old Victoria sponge. I make it with gluten free flour but you can just use normal flour if you like. It is fantastic with homemade jam and vanilla buttercream.

Recently I went on a jam making course for my birthday and I picked up some great tips.  (look out for my next post which will be on me making homemade jam.)

I know some people think that gluten free cakes can be dense but I found if you use the creaming method instead of the all in one method and fold in the flour it makes a nice light cake.

Enjoy

Recipe: Gluten Free Victoria Sponge

Ingredients:

• 175g gluten free self rasing flour
• 175g golden caster sugar
• 175g unsalted butter
• 4 eggs
• 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste

For the filling

• One batch of buttercream
• 1/4 jar of strawberry jam

For the buttercream:

• 160g icing sugar
• 70g butter
• 1/4 tsp vanilla bean paste

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 160 fan. Line two 180cm cake tins with parchment paper at the bottom of the tin and butter the sides.
2. Cream the butter vanilla paste and sugar in a bowl for 5 mins until the butter and sugar is light and fluffy.
3. Then measure out the flour in a bowl and set aside.
4. Crack the eggs in a jug and mix with a fork.
5. Then put the mixer of a medium speed and pour a third of the egg into the butter and sugar then beat in. Add a tablespoon of flour and mix in . (This will stop the mixer from splitting)
6. Repeat this step until all the egg is incorporated.
7. Finally fold in the rest of the flour.
8. Once folded in do a final stir to make sure every thing is incorporated and spoon the mixture evenly between both tins.
9. Place in the oven for 30-35 mins, the cakes will be done when a skewer come out clean.
10. While the cake is cooking make the buttercream put the all the butter, icing sugar and vanilla paste in a bowl and mix until it comes together as a creamed mixture it may take time.
11. When the cakes are ready to come out of the oven put a timer on and leave them to cool for 10 mins in the tin after 10 mins take the cake out of the tin and leave to cool completely
12. Once cooled spread the jam on one of the cakes and spread the buttercream on the other cake. Then place the butter cream cake on top of the jam layer.
13. ( Doing this instead of putting the jam and buttercream on the same layer will mean that the buttercream will not run into the jam so when you cut into the cake you will have defined layers. )