Mini Victoria Sponges

A couple of years ago I helped my Mum clear out her kitchen cupboards and as a result became the proud owner of this:

I have made chestnut cake, banana bread and giant muffins in it, but somehow this baking tin needed a different cake recipe of its own… Now I have found it!

Mini Victoria sponges!

Last summer I posted the traditional Victoria Sponge Sandwich Cake, so this is just an adapted version to make six mini cakes instead of one large one. And this time I used fresh cream in the filling – a revelation. Can’t think why I never did that before!

Mini Victoria Sponge Sandwich Cakes

• 175 g (6 oz) butter
• 175g (6 oz) caster sugar
• 3 eggs
• 175g (6 oz) self-raising flour
• 1/2 tsp baking powder
• pinch of salt
• 2-3 tbsps milk
• jam for filling (I used blueberry, strawberry and lemon curd)
• whipped fresh cream for filling
• 6 mini cake tins, greased and floured
• A little icing sugar for decoration

Preheat oven to 190°C. Cream the butter and sugar together with a mixer until pale and fluffy. Whisk in the eggs, one at a time. Gently fold in the sieved flour, baking powder and salt. Add the milk if necessary to achieve a “dropping consistency”, i.e. the mixture drops slowly off a spoon. Fill the cake tins about 2/3 full and bake for 20-25 minutes.

Allow to cool completely. Slice the cake horizontally into two. Spread the lower half with jam, then add a dollop of whipped cream and put the second cake on top, like a sandwich. Sprinkle with a little icing sugar as decoration. If using fresh cream, eat on the same day, or refrigerate.

ENJOY!