Victoria Sponge Cake

Many of you have heard of the Icelandic volcanic ash has cause chaos in the air travel across Europe. UK air space has been shut down since Thursday. The latest news indicate it will still shut till tomorrow evening 7pm. Yes, few of my friends from Taiwan are stranded in London at the moment. I really hope they can get home soon.

Having baked lemon tart last week, I have spare tub of lite double cream which need to be consumed before used date. Well having my friend over to view my little spring garden, baking a Victoria Sponge Cake sounds ideal with a cuppa.
This is rather classic cake in Britain. As the name suggested, it was named after Queen Victoria, as she favored a slice of sponge cake with her afternoon tea. This is rather easy cake to make.

Victoria Sponge Cake
Ingredients

• 200g butter or margarine, softened at room temperature
• 200 g caster sugar
• 4 medium eggs
• 2 tsp vanilla extract
• 200g self raising flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp of milk
  

Filling

• 150 ml whipping cream
• 1 tsp of vanilla extract
  
• 100 g strawberry/raspberry jam
  

1. Preheat the oven to 180C.
2. Grease and line 2 x 18cm/7in cake tins with baking paper.
3. Cream the butter and the sugar together in a bowl until pale and fluffy.
4. Beat in the eggs, a little at a time, and stir in the vanilla extract.
5. Fold in the flour using a large metal spoon, adding a little extra milk if necessary, to create a batter with a soft dropping consitency.
6. Divide the mixture between the cake tins and gently spread out with a spatula.
7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until golden-brown on top and a skewer inserted into the middle comes out clean.
8. Remove from the oven and set aside for 5 minutes, then remove from the tin and peel off the paper. Place onto a wire rack. Let it cool for half an hour.
9. Meanwhile prepare the filling. Whip the cream with vanilla extract till soft peak forms. Leave aside.
10.Sandwich the cakes together with raspberry/strawberry jam and whipped cream. Enjoy with a cup of tea.

We have been granted excellent weather since the early spring, it's really beautiful and weather is warm enough to enjoy the best of outdoor . Attached some pictures from my garden.

Early spring bloom, the show will only gets better

Good sign, my strawberry plant is flowering now....... dreaming of the juicy sweet fruit comes summer

First bloom of my lovely Dutch iris

Lovely tulips

My fruit tree (green gage - a type of sweet plum) is flowering too. I planted the tree last autumn

magnolia bloom-spectacular