Recipe: Mini Victoria Sponges

I love a classic cake. There’s something so comforting about it’s plain flavour, and it’s simplicity to make. No fancy sugarwork, no strenuous beating or mixing. Just a simple mix, a few minutes in the oven, a quick slice and swipe of jam, and it’s ready. These mini Victoria sponges are a cute take on the absolute classic recipe, and they honestly couldn’t be easier. Just be careful to watch the oven like a hawk as they burn slightly easier.

I have a special mini cake tin, but you could easily use a muffin tin. I also skipped away from the traditional jam only, adding whipped cream. I’m the one with a really muscley right arm, and a skinny left one…

Ingredients

• 250g very soft butter
• 250g caster sugar (you shouldn’t use granulated here as it makes the sponge speckly with a funny texture)
• 4 large eggs
• 250g self raising flour
• 4 tablespoons of milk

A super simple sponge based on Nigella’s recipe from How to be a Domesticated Goddess; cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, with a spoon of flour in between each. Then fold in the flour, and thin with milk.

Pour into your greased and lined mini cake tins (or cupcake cases) and bake at 170C for 15 minutes. Of course, you could always make a larger cake; just increase the cooking time to around 25 minutes. Cool, then slice in half and fill. Enjoy with a good cup of tea.

Talking of tea. I went to a really stereotypical greasy spoon the other day. You know the type – full English is £4 and comes in two minutes. All lovely, however when I asked for a pot of English Breakfast tea I was taken to a shelf of all very posh herbal teas. When I told the waiter/chef/cleaner man that just standard tea would be great, if they have any, a dusty pot of tetley was produced from a cupboard. Why?! Nothing is wrong with normal tea, it’s not something to hide away!

Anyway, tea rant over! What’s your favorite classic cake?