I love desserts that have a beautiful story as much as I love creating entremets or other desserts from scratch. And this Victoria sponge cake makes no exception. Having British origins, it seems that this cake was named after Queen Victoria who was introduced to it by Anna, the Dutchess of Bedford and it soon became one of her favorite cakes. In fact, Queen Victoria is quite famous for her sweet tooth and historics say she used to order dozens of cakes and cookies to be sent to her palace every week. So it’s safe to say that she absolutely loved cake!

A traditional Victoria sponge cake consists of two layers of delicate, buttery sponge, sandwiched with strawberry jam and cream. But this is just a base, like a white canvas where you can let your imagination go wild and paint your own masterpiece. For that reason I kept the sponge as traditional as possible and made my own strawberry jam with a kick of rhubarb. I was delicious, it actually surprised me because usually I don’t tolerate butter based sponges too well. However, next time I’m going to try a different version of sponge, more similar to a genoise so it’s lighter in texture. I wish I had some British double cream to fill it with – I fell in love with the richness of double cream during my last UK visit, so smooth and creamy, so rich, just perfect in small amounts.

{Victoria Sponge Cake}

 

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Author: Olguta - Pastry Workshop

Serves:: 1 18-cm cake

Ingredients:

• 175g butter, softened
• 175g white sugar
• 3 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 175g all-purpose flour
• 1 pinch salt
• 1½ teaspoons baking powder
• 200g heavy cream, whipped
• 200g rhubarb
• 200g strawberries, halved
• 80g sugar
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice

Directions:

1. Pre-heat your oven to 350F and line 2 round cake pans (18cm) with baking paper.
2. Mix the butter and sugar for 5 minutes until airy and pale.
3. Stir in the eggs, one by one, mixing well after each addition then turn the mixer on high speed and mix for 2 more minutes.
4. Stir in the vanilla.
5. Sift the flour with salt and baking powder into the bowl and incorporate it with a spatula (don't use the mixer).
6. Divide the batter between the two pans and bake for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the cakes comes out clean.
7. Allow the cakes to cool in the pan.
8. For the rhubarb strawberry jam mix the rhubarb, strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a saucepan. Place aside for 10 minutes then cook on low heat until the fruits are softened, about 10 minutes.
9. Allow the jam to cool completely before use.
10. To finish the cake, place on sponge on a platter and top with half of the whipped cream. Drizzle with jam and top with the remaining cream. Cover with the second sponge and refrigerate until serving.

Notes

You don't need the entire batch of jam for this cake, but you can easily store the remaining jam in a jar in the fridge for up to 1 week.

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ROMANIAN

Imi plac deserturile care au o poveste in spate la fel de mult pe cat imi place sa creez un desert de la zero. Si acest tort nu face exceptie, el fiind unul cu adevarat regal. De altfel, tortul a fost numit dupa Regina Victoria, celebra pentru pofta ei constanta de dulce. Se spune ca regina obisnuia sa comande la palat zeci de torturi si fursecuri saptamanal,, multe dintre acestea fiind servite la celebrele ei ceaiuri cu invitati.

Tortul e unul clasic, extrem de cunoscut in Marea Britanie. Traditional, e un tort extrem de simplu, format din doua blaturi cu unt, frisca bine batuta si fructe, de obicei capsune sau zmeura. E ca o coala de hartie pentru cei carora le place sa se joace – poti crea nenumarate combinatii pornind de la aceasta idee de baza. Blatul e aerat, pe baza de unt, foarte simplu de facut si de tinut minte, continand unt, zahar si faina in proportii egale. Totusi, data viitoare cred ca voi opta spre un blat care sa aduca mai mult cu un genoise, sa fie putin mai aerat si mai usor.

Ingrediente:

• 175g unt gras la temperatura camerei
• 175g zahar alb
• 3 oua, temperatura camerei
• 175g faina alba
• 1 1/2 lingurite praf de copt
• 1 praf de sare
• 200g frisca, bine batuta
• 200g rubarba, felii
• 200g capsune proaspete, felii
• 80g zahar
• 1 lingurita zeama de lamaie

Mod de preparare:

1. Preincalziti cuptorul la 180C si tapetati doua tavi rotunde de 18cm diametru cu hartie de copt.
2. Mixati untul cu zaharul cel putin 5 minute pana obtineti o compozitie cremoasa.
3. Adaugati ouale, unul cate unul, mixand bine dupa fiecare, apoi dati mixerul la viteza mare si mai mixati doua minute.
4. Incorporati si extractul de vanilie.
5. Cerneti faina, sarea si praful de copt peste unt si incorporati usor cu o spatula (nu cu mixerul).
6. Transferati blatul in cele doua tavi pregatite si coaceti pentru 25-30 minute pana devin usor aurii si trec testul scobitorii. Lasati blaturile sa se raceasca in tavi.
7. Pentru gemul de rubarba si capsune, combinati rubarba, capsunele, zaharul si zeama de lamaie intr-un vas si dati deoparte 10 minute. Puneti pe foc si fierbeti pana fructele se inmoaie, aproximativ 10 minute. Dati deoparte sa se raceasca.
8. Pentru a finisa tortul, puneti untul dintre blaturi pe un platou si acoperiti cu jumatate din frisca. Puneti cateva linguri de gem peste frisca si inca un strat de frisca bine batuta, urmata de cel de-al doilea blat.
9. Dati la rece pana in momentul servirii.