Victoria Sponge Cake

Some might be fancier, other might be flashier, but no cake beats the simplicity of a Victoria Sponge! Its a firm favourite in our house, making a regular appearance as it is super easy to whip up and I always have the ingredients at hand.

The jam filling changes depending on the time of year, from plum jam to blackberry jam in summer time. Whatever takes your fancy really!

Ingredients

• 225g margarine
• 225g caster sugar
• 4 free-range eggs
• 225g self-raising flour
• 2 tsp baking powder

To serve

• good-quality strawberry or raspberry jam
• whipped double cream

Preparation method

1. Preheat the oven to 180C. Grease and line 2 x 20cm/8in sandwich tins with parchment paper.
2. Cream the butter and sugar together until light fluffy. Then add the eggs one at a time into the butter and sugar mixture.
3. Then add the sieved flour and baking powder . Mix everything together until well combined.
4. 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.
5. Place the tins on the middle shelf of the oven and bake for 25 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. Remove them from the oven and set aside to cool in their tins for five 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. Set aside to cool completely.
6. To assemble the cake, place one cake upside down onto a plate and spread it with plenty of jam and then spread over whipped cream.
7. Top with the second cake, top-side up. Sprinkle icing sugar over the top.

Happy baking,

Bácáil with Love (Bake with Love)

Raspberry Meringue Roulade

Following on from the Blueberry Lemon Crumb Bars, there is lots of fresh berries in the house at the moment! A perfect snack for these final summer days. My daughter would eat them all day long.

Meringue is my Husbands favourite dessert, with lots of cream and fresh fruit. Well any dessert with fresh cream to be honest! We are having Sunday lunch at his parents house and he requested a roulade for dessert.

It is a quick and simple recipe to prepare but it turns out a very impressive dessert, a fantastic finish to a meal as it is so light and refreshing.  Some people are put off trying this dessert by the rolling of the roulade, but it is very easy and nothing like a swiss roll!

Raspberry Meringue Roulade

Ingredients

4 egg whites

225g caster sugar

For the filling:

200ml fresh cream, lightly whipped

250g punnet of fresh raspberries

To decorate

Icing sugar, for dusting Fresh raspberries

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180ºC.

2. Line the Swiss roll tin (23 x 33cm / 9 x 13in)  with foil, folding the sides up to make a frame about a 1 ½ in height and press the corners together. Brush lightly with vegetable oil. Or you can use parchment paper in the same manner omitting the vegetable oil.

3. Place the egg whites in the spotlessly clean bowl (I find stainless steel is best) and whisk until soft peaks form.

4. Add the sugar in stages and whisk at full speed for about 4–5 minutes until stiff peaks form. As you add the sugar slowly you will see the mixture becoming nice and glossy. Once all the sugar is combined whisk the mixture for a further minute or two. Ensure your mixture is completely stiff before transferring to your baking tray.

5. Smooth the meringue into the prepared tin with a palette knife and bake in the oven for 15–20 minutes, until lightly browned and firm to the touch.

6. Allow the meringue to cool for a few minutes before gently turning out onto a sheet of foil slightly bigger than the roulade. Gently remove the foil on the base. Allow to cool completely.

7. Spread the lightly whipped the cream evenly all over the meringue, leaving a inch at the top furtherest away from you. Now cover with the fresh raspberries.

8. Holding the foil closest to you simply roll up the roulade away from you. Dont worry it the meringue cracks, this adds character. Leave it rolled in the foil until you are ready to serve, it will hold for a couple of hours in the fridge.

9. When ready to serve, unwrap the roulade and gently push it onto a serving dish using a palette knife or cake slice, open side down. Dust with icing sugar and decorate with a few more raspberries.

    Happy baking,

Bácáil with Love (Bake with Love)