Traditional Victoria Sponge

This has to be one of the prettiest cakes I have made to date, and it is traditionally British which makes it better!

Victoria Sponge Sandwich Cake with Fruits

Ingredients:
200g Butter
200g Caster Sugar
200g Self Raising Flour
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tbsp Vanilla Extract (optional)
4 Eggs
2tbsp Milk
Filling;
140g Icing Sugar
100g Butter
1 tsp Vanilla Extract (optional)
Raspberry Jam

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 180 degrees and line two 20cm cake tins with butter.
2. Beat the butter and sugar together, then add the flour and eggs and beat until fully mixed. Add the milk if necessary and vanilla extract if desired.
3. Spread evenly between the tins and bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until an inserted knife comes out clean. Leave to cool upside down before decorating.
4. For the filling; mix the sugar and butter together. Spread over the bottom of one of the sponges. Spread the jam on the bottom of the second sponge.
5. Place the sponge with the jam on top of the butter icing sponge.
6. Decorate with berry fruits (in this example, raspberries, strawberries and blueberries were used) if desired and finish with icing sugar over the top.

Neopolitan Cupcakes

These are a great summer treat! This recipe makes 12 cupcakes.

 Ingredients
 110g caster sugar
 110g butter
 110g self raising flower
2 large eggs
I tbsp vanilla extract
4tbsp 70% cocoa powder
Milk
For the icing
100g butter
100g icing sugar
Red food colouring
Chopped strawberries or raspberries for decoration (optional)

Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180 degrees and line a cupcake tin with cupcake cases.
2. Mix together the butter and caster sugar with an electric whisk. Add in the eggs one at a time and whisk.
3. Mix in the flour slowly and mix in between adding. Add the vanilla extract and any milk that may be required so the consistency is such that it drops off the whisk or a spoon.
4. Split the mixture in two. For the first mixture, spoon this into one half of the cupcake tins only.
5. For the other mixture, add in the cocoa powder (more may be added depending on how chocolatey this part of the cake needs to be). The consistency can be returned to what it was with more milk.
6. Spoon the chocolate mixture into the other half of the cupcake cases.
7. Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until a knife comes out clean.
8. For the icing, cream together the butter and icing sugar to form a paste. Add the red food colouring.
9. Apply the icing to the cakes. Add decorations if required.

Enjoy!

Strawberry Oatie Bakes

This is an altered recipe, with the original link posted at the bottom of this post.

Ingredients:
1 cup Rolled oats, old fashioned
3/4 cup Strawberry jam
1 cup All-purpose flour
1/4 tsp Baking soda
1/2 cup Brown sugar, packed light
1/4 tsp Salt
1/2 cup Butter, unsalted

Method
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line an 8 by 8-inch baking dish with aluminum foil or baking parchment, leaving a 2-inch overhang of foil on two sides. Grease foil.

2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Stir in oats and brown sugar, and use clean fingertips as needed to break up brown sugar clumps. 

3. Add butter, and using fingertips, work butter into mixture until evenly moistened.

4. Add 2 cups of the oat mixture to the prepared baking dish and press into an even layer. 

Spread strawberry jam into an even layer over oat layer, coming within 1/4-inch of all edges. Sprinkle top evenly with remaining oat mixture, then slightly press into jam layer.

5. Bake in preheated oven until golden brown, about 34 - 38 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to cool completely before cutting into squares. 

6. Store in an airtight container.

Recipe adapted from: http://www.cookingclassy.com/2014/03/raspberry-crumb-bars/

Mini Strawberry Tartlets

These are really easy to make and taste great too! The pastry and jam can both either be bought or made. For this recipe, I bought the pastry and made the Jam.

Ingredients:
Ready to roll pastry
200g Strawberries
100g caster sugar

Method
1. Set oven to 170 degrees.
2. Cut strawberries into chunks and cook on the hob, where the juices come out and the strawberries go mushy.
3. Add in the sugar to the strawberries and leave on a low heat.
4. With the strawberries on a low heat, roll the pastry out and cut out circles. Lay them in a cupcake tray that has been lined with greaseproof paper (I usually cut out large circles of greaseproof paper).
5. Add the strawberry jam that has been made into the pastry cases. Do not fill to the top as the jam expands.
6. The tops can be further decorated with more pastry if desired, for example I made miniature pies and weaved the tops of some of the tartlets.
7. Put in the oven and bake for 20 minutes or until cooked.