Victoria Sponge Cake

Victoria Sponge Cake (inspired by The English Kitchen)

5 oz (10 Tb) unsalted butter, room temperature

5 oz (10 Tb) margarine, room temperature*

10 oz (about 1 1/3 cup) granulated sugar (minus 2 Tb)

5 large eggs, room temperature (6 eggs)

1 tsp vanilla

1/2 tsp almond extract

10 oz (about 2 cups) all-purpose flour (You can just use 10 oz of self-raising flour and skip the salt and baking powder if you aren't at high altitude. I had to break it up to decrease the leavening, and add 2 Tb for 6000 ft)

3 tsp baking powder (1 1/4 tsp)

1/2 tsp salt

buttercream frosting

raspberry or strawberry jam

Butter the bottom of two 9 inch cake pans**. Line the bottom of the pans with parchment and butter and flour the whole pan and set them aside. (Buttering AND flouring your pans is key to a perfectly formed cake. That baking spray with flour is okay, but just not as good as the real thing. Trust me, it's worth it!) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. (365 degrees for high altitude)

If not using self-raising flour, whisk the salt, baking powder, and flour together in a medium bowl and set aside.

Cream the butter, margarine, sugar and extracts together until pale and fluffy, 5-8 minutes. Gradually beat in the eggs, a little at a time, beating well and scraping down the sides of the bowl after each. If the mixture begins to look curdled, add a spoonful of the flour. It'll be fine. Gently fold in the flour with a spatula, taking care not to knock out too much of the air that you have beaten into the batter. Divide the batter evenly between the two cake pans, leveling off the surface. Make a slight dip in the center of each and tap very gently on your counter or table, to release any air bubbles.

Bake on a center rack of the oven for 20-25 minutes, or until golden and well-risen. Allow to cool in the pan for five minutes before running a knife carefully around the edges and turning out onto a wire rack to cool completely.

Once cooled, place one layer, top down, on a cake plate. Spread with jam and buttercream (if using). Place the other cake on top, pressing down lightly. Dust with powdered sugar and serve.

Notes:

* I know, I know, it says margarine, and lots of us think margarine is the devil. Or at the very least, inferior to butter. 99% of the time I would agree with you, except in this recipe. It is based off of a recipe from my very favorite English cook, and she used to be a real-no-kidding chef, and if she says margarine gives you a better texture, use margarine!! I didn't notice any lack of flavor. Far from it!!*

** The original recipe (link next to the recipe title above) was measured for a 7 inch cake pan. I don't have any of those. Most standard American cake pans that we all have at home are 9 inch, so I adjusted it. The awesome thing is, there is a very simple formula for adjusting it back down to an 8 inch, or 7 inch if you've got one. For an 8 inch pan, you need 8 total oz of margarine and butter, 8 oz of flour, 8 oz of sugar, and 4 eggs, with 1/4 tsp of salt and 2 & 3/4 tsp baking powder. For a 7 inch pan, 6 oz of each, 3 eggs, a pinch of salt, and 2 & 1/4 tsp baking powder. See the pattern? It goes up by one egg and 2 oz of each main ingredient per pan inch. I gave approximate measurements in cups, but if you can measure this one on a kitchen scale, I seriously recommend it!**

Best Ever Buttercream Frosting (adapted from Cooking Classy)

3/4 cup salted butter, at room temperature (if using unsalted, add a pinch of salt)

2 cups powdered sugar

1-2 Tb heavy cream

1/2 tsp vanilla or almond extract (or both)

In a the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment (or in a large bowl with a hand mixer), whip the butter on high speed until nearly white and very fluffy, about 7-8 minutes, scraping down the sides frequently with a spatula. Add the remaining ingredients and mix on low until combined, then increase speed to medium and continue to beat until very light and fluffy, about 4-5 more minutes, frequently scraping down the sides of the bowl. After a few minutes of mixing, if your frosting is too thick, add another Tb of cream. Use immediately or store in the fridge for a few days.