A peek at recent bakes...

Traditional Victoria Sponge

I've had cravings for a proper sponge for ages, but never remembered to buy raspberry jam until too late, for so long in fact that I gave up on myself and instead used some home-made damson jam that we had in the fridge. No traditional sponge for me, but definitively an interesting variation.

You will need:
4 eggs
Butter
Caster sugar
Self-raising flour
1 tsp vanilla extract
A few tblsp milk

Method:

• Weigh the eggs in their shells, roughly 9oz.

• Then, weigh out the same weight of butter, sugar and flour. 
• Whisk the butter until creamy, this is an important stage for ensuring a light sponge, so spend enough time whipping. 

• Add the sugar and whisk.
•  Beat in the eggs and vanilla extract, then fold in the flour.

•  If the mixture is not dropping off the spoon easily add milk until it does. 
• Spoon into greased sponge tins and bake at 180C for 25-30 mins. 

• When nicely browned, and cooked through, leave to cool for a little before turning out onto cooling racks. 
• Prepare a standard vanilla butter-cream mix for one cake, and spread jam liberally over the other, then sandwich together.

• Lightly dust the top of the cake with icing sugar.

Although I would have preferred raspberry jam, the damson jam was still delicious and the slight sharpness was in good contrast to the sweetness of the butter-cream.
Enjoy!

Honeycomb with a delicious chocolate topping

You will need:
1tablespoon of vegetable oil
3oz/100g butter
5 1/2oz/150g granulated sugar
3oz/100g golden syrup
2teaspoons bicarbonate of soda
3oz/100g milk/dark chocolate

Method:

• Grease a 30x15cm tin with oil.
• Heat the butter,sugar and syrup until they are melted.

• Then turn up the heat and boil for about 5 minutes.
• Take the saucepan of the heat and add the bicarbonate of soda to the mixture.
• Pour the mixture into the tin and put it in the fridge to cool.

• While it is cooling melt the chocolate and pour onto the cooled honeycomb.

• Enjoy!