Royal Victoria Sandwich Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Butter two 20cm sandwich tins and line with non-stick baking paper.
• In a large bowl, beat 200g caster sugar, 200g softened butter, 4 beaten eggs, 200g self-raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp milk together until you have a smooth, soft batter.
• Divide the mixture between the tins, smooth the surface with a spatula or the back of a spoon.
• Bake for about 20 mins until golden and the cake springs back when pressed.
• Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.
• To make the filling, beat the 100g softened butter until smooth and creamy, then gradually beat in 140g sifted icing sugar and a drop of vanilla extract (if you're using it).
• Spread the buttercream over the bottom of one of the sponges. Top it with 170g strawberry jam and sandwich the second sponge on top.
• Dust with a little icing sugar before serving. Keep in an airtight container and eat within 2 days.

Steps:

• Preheat your oven to 350°F. Grease two 8" round cake pans.
• In a medium-sized mixing bowl, beat together the butter and sugar until well combined and smooth.
• Beat in the eggs one at a time, scraping the bottom and sides of the bowl after each addition.
• Add the extracts, if you're using them.
• Add the flour, beating gently just until well combined.
• Divide the stiff batter evenly between the cake pans; there'll be 11 to 12 ounces of batter in each, depending on the size eggs you used.
• Bake the cakes for about 20 minutes, or until they start to pull away from the edges of the pans. Remove them from the oven, cool for a couple of minutes, and turn out of the pans onto a rack to cool completely.
• When the cakes are cool, place one layer on a plate. Spread with the jam of your choice.
• Whip the cream - 2/3 cup cream makes a medium-thickness layer of filling; 3/4 cup cream, a thick layer. Sprinkle in 2 tablespoons granulated sugar, or to taste, as you whip the cream until it's quite stiff. Stir in the vanilla at the end.
• Spread the whipped cream over the jam. Top with the second layer of cake.
• Brush the top of the cake with syrup, and sprinkle with coarse white sparkling sugar, if desired. Or sprinkle with confectioners' sugar just before serving.
• Refrigerate the cake until you're ready to serve it. It'll be at its best within 12 hours; but is still quite good up to 2 or even 3 days later. The difference will be the whipped cream, which will gradually settle/compact.