Host An Unforgettable Book Club Party

Originally an English sponge cake contained many eggs but had no butter.  By Queen Victoria’s day, butter was being used and this cake became known as the Victoria Sponge.   This recipe, in which strawberry jam and whipped cream are layered between two sponge cakes, was adapted from Great British Cooking: A Well Kept Secret by Jane Garmey.

Inspired by The House at Riverton

Prep:  20 minutes     Cook time:  12-15 minutes      Serves:  8

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 3 eggs, room temperature
• 1 tablespoon milk, room temperature
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• Salt
• Confectioner’s sugar

Filling

• 5 tablespoons strawberry jam
• 1 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
2. Melt the butter in a saucepan over very low heat and make sure that it doesn’t boil.
3. Beat the eggs with the milk.  Add the sugar and beat on high speed.
4. In a separate bowl, sift the flour, baking powder and a pinch of salt and fold it gently into the egg mixture.  Stir in the melted butter.
5. Divide the mixture between 2 well-greased 7 inch cake pans (my cake pans were 8 inch so my cake came out a little thinner) and bake side by side for 12-15 minutes or until well-risen and golden in color.
6. Remove from the oven and cool for at least 10 minutes before turning the cake onto a rack.
7. Whip the cream until stiff, and when the cake is completely cooled, put it together with a layer of jam and a layer of cream in the middle.  Dust the top with confectioners’ sugar.