Victoria sandwich/jam sponge

This cake is special to me for three main reasons: firstly, my Grandma has made it for the stereotypical afternoon tea thing that my extended family has done every sunday for the past 450 years, and it always disappears in seconds; secondly, it was my contribution to a special Christmas party with my Erasmus friends, to which everyone brought something from their country; and thirdly, it tastes like pure awesome.

This, like most of the recipes on here, is ridiculously easy. My little twist is putting a bit of vanilla extract in the sponge. The only big pointer I would make about this recipe is that a really good quality jam (I used Bonne Mamman strawberry preserve) will make a big difference.

Ingredients:

• 4 free-range eggs
• 2 tbsps vanilla extract
• 225g caster sugar
• 225g self-raising flour
• 225g butter or good margarine
• A pinch of salt
• 3-4 tbsps strawberry or raspberry jam

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
2. Cream the butter/margarine and sugar together in a big mixing bowl. If you're using real butter, let it warm up in the room first so that it will actually mix in.
3. Beat the eggs thoroughly in a jug and stir them into the mixture.
4. Sieve the flour into the bowl along with a pinch of salt and mix it all together until you have a smooth mixture. Mix in the vanilla extract if you're using it.
5. Get two evenly sized round cake tins and line them with a little butter and some baking paper or kitchen foil. Spoon the mixture into each tin in equal amounts and bake in the oven for about 25 minutes each until they've turned golden brown on the outside.
6. Carefully put one of the cakes into a plate, upside down. Spoon some jam over the top (leave a little space at the edge as you don't want it to spill out) then put the other cake on top of it.
7. Give everyone a generous slice!

TIP: a lot of people like making this with whipped cream as well as jam. Personally I find that makes it too sickly when the cake is certainly rich enough, but do what you like. At the end of the day, it's your life. Stay true to yourself. Don't let others tell you what to do.