Mary Berrys Victoria Sponge Cake Recipes

MARY BERRY'S VICTORIA SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• To make the sponge, add the granulated sugar and soften butter to a bowl, and beat well with a hand mixer until creamy.
• Add the eggs and mix again, then add the flour, vanilla extract and baking podwer, and mix to get a smooth batter.
• Butter and flour two cake tins (19 cm, 7.48 inches), and divide the batter evenly between the tins.
• Bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahreneheit) for 20 minutes, or until golden, and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Leave the cakes to cool down.
• To make the buttercream, sift the icing sugar with the butter, then add the vanilla extract and milk, and mix again to get a silky cream.
• To assemble the cake, spread the icing over the bottom of one cake, spread the jam over, and top with the second cake.

MARY BERRY'S COFFEE AND WALNUT CAKE

Steps:

• Start by making the sponge.
• In a bowl, add the butter and sugar and cream until smooth.
• Add the eggs one by one, mixing well to incorporate.
• Add the sifted flour, instant coffee, baking powder and chopped walnuts, and mix well.
• Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit).
• Grease and flour 2 round cake tins with detachable walls (mine have a diameter of 20 cm /8 inches).
• Pour the batter in, and level it with the back of a spoon or a spatula.
• Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a skewer inserted in the middle of the cakes comes out clean.
• Transfer to a cooling wrack and leave to cool completely.
• To make the icing, sift the icing sugar, add the soften butter, expresso coffee and milk to a food processor, and blitz until smooth.
• Spread half of the icing over the first sponge, top with the second sponge, and ice the top with the remaining buttercream.
• Decorate with walnut halves.

CHOCOLATE SPONGE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and grease and line two 20cm/8in sandwich tins with baking parchment.
• Put the cocoa powder and boiling water into a large bowl and mix well to make a paste. Add the remaining ingredients and beat again until combined. This can also be done in a food processor, but take care not to over whisk. Divide the cake mixture between the prepared tins. Bake for about 25-30 minutes, or until well risen and shrinking away from the sides of the tin.
• Meanwhile, for the icing and filling, measure the chocolate and cream together in a bowl and stand the bowl over a pan of simmering water for about 10 minutes, or until melted. Stir from time to time. Set aside and leave until cool.
• Once baked, remove the cakes from the oven and allow to cool for 10 minutes before turning out the tins onto a wire rack to cool completely.
• Spread the tops of each cake with apricot jam. Fill the cakes with half of the icing and spread the remainder on top. Draw large "S" shapes over the cake with a palatte knife to give a swirl effect. Dust with icing sugar and serve in slices.

MARY BERRY'S EASY VICTORIA SANDWICH

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm/8in sandwich tins. Use a piece of baking paper to rub a little butter around the inside of the tins until the sides and base are lightly coated, then line the bottom with a circle of baking paper.
• Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl, then add the sugar, flour, baking powder and butter. Mix together until well combined with an electric hand mixer (you can also use a wooden spoon), but be careful not to over mix. Put a damp cloth under your bowl when you're mixing to stop it moving around. The finished mixture should fall off a spoon easily.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the tins: this doesn't need to be exact, but you can weigh the filled tins if you want to check. Use a spatula to remove all of the mixture from the bowl and gently smooth the surface of the cakes.
• Bake the cakes on the middle shelf of the oven for 25 minutes. Check them after 20 minutes. The cakes are done when they're golden-brown and coming away from the edge of the tins. Press them gently to check - they should be springy to the touch. Set aside to cool in their tins for 5 minutes. Run a palette or rounded butter knife around the inside edge of the tins and carefully turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack.
• To assemble the cake, place one cake upside down onto a plate and spread it with plenty of jam. If you want to, you can spread over whipped cream too. Top with the second cake, top-side up. Sprinkle over the caster sugar.

MARY'S VICTORIA SANDWICH WITH BUTTERCREAM

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180C/160C Fan/Gas 4. Grease and line two 20cm/8in sandwich tins: use a piece of baking or silicone paper to rub a little baking spread or butter around the inside of the tins until the sides and base are lightly coated. Line the bottom of the tins with a circle of baking paper.
• Break the eggs into a large mixing bowl, add the sugar, flour, baking powder and soft butter. Mix everything together until well combined. Be careful not to over-mix - as soon as everything is blended you should stop. The finished mixture should be of a soft 'dropping' consistency.
• Divide the mixture evenly between the tins. Use a spatula to remove all of the mixture from the bowl and gently smooth the surface of the cakes.
• Place the tins on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 25 minutes. Don't be tempted to open the door while they're cooking, but after 20 minutes do look through the door to check them.
• While the cakes are cooking, make the jam. Put the raspberries in a small deep-sided saucepan and crush them with a masher. Add the sugar and bring to the boil over a low heat until the sugar has melted. Increase the heat and boil for 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and carefully pour into a shallow container. Leave to cool and set.
• The cakes are done when they're golden-brown and coming away from the edge of the tins. Press them gently to check - they should be springy to the touch. Remove them from the oven and set aside to cool in the tins for 5 minutes. Then run a palette or rounded butter knife around the inside edge of the tin and carefully turn the cakes out onto a cooling rack.
• To take your cakes out of the tins without leaving a wire rack mark on the top, put the clean tea towel over the tin, put your hand onto the tea towel and turn the tin upside-down. The cake should come out onto your hand and the tea towel - then you can turn it from your hand onto the wire rack. Set aside to cool completely.
• For the buttercream, beat the butter in a large bowl until soft. Add half of the icing sugar and beat until smooth. Add the remaining icing sugar and one tablespoon of the milk and beat the mixture until creamy and smooth. Add the remaining tablespoon of milk if the buttercream is too thick. Spoon the buttercream into a piping bag fitted with a plain nozzle.
• To assemble, choose the sponge with the best top, then put the other cake top-down on to a serving plate. Spread with the jam then pipe the buttercream on top of the jam. Place the other sponge on top (top uppermost) and sprinkle with caster sugar to serve.

MARY BERRY'S MADEIRA CAKE

Steps:

• Add the butter and sugar to a large bowl and use an electric mixer to beat everything well until creamy.
• Add the eggs one by one, beating well after each addition.
• In go the flour and ground almonds together with the lemon zest.
• Mix everything well to get a smooth thick batter.
• Grease and flour a 23 cm/9 inch round cake tin, and spread the batter evenly.
• Bake in the preheated oven at 180 degrees Celsius (350 Fahrenheit) for 30 minutes or until golden and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
• Leave to cool for 15 minutes, then carefully remove from the cake tin, and transfer to a cooling rack to be cooled down completely.