Victoria Sponge

Method

1. Take the butter and eggs out of the fridge an hour ahead. Preheat the oven to 180 °C (160 °C fan) for 15 min. Lightly butter two 2 × 15 cm round cake tins and line the bases with baking paper.

   Add in this stepButter, for greasing 5 g

   oven

2. In a large bowl, beat the soft butter and sugar with an electric mixer for 4 min, until pale, increased in volume and fluffy like whipped cream. The air you beat in here is what makes the cake rise.

   Add in this stepButter, softened at room temperature 110 gCaster sugar 110 g

3. Beat the eggs in a jug with the vanilla. Add them to the butter mixture a spoonful at a time, beating well after each addition. Adding them all at once makes the mixture curdle; if it starts to look lumpy, beat in a spoonful of the flour.

   Add in this stepEggs, at room temperature 2Vanilla extract 0.4 tsp

4. Sift in the flour, baking powder and salt and fold in with a spatula, lifting from the bottom, just until no dry flour shows. Fold in the milk so the batter drops easily off the spatula. Overmixing makes the cake tough.

   Add in this stepPlain flour (or self-raising, then halve the baking powder) 110 gBaking powder 1 tspSalt 1 pinchMilk 1 tbsp

5. Divide the batter equally between the tins (weighing makes it exact), level the tops and bake in the middle of the oven for 18 min. Don't open the door for the first two thirds of the time. They are done when golden, springy when lightly pressed and a skewer comes out clean. Leave in the tins for 5 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack to cool completely for 30 min.

   oven

6. Make the buttercream: beat the soft butter with the icing sugar in two additions and the rest of the vanilla for 2 min, until pale and smooth.

   Add in this stepButter for the buttercream, softened 40 gIcing sugar 80 gVanilla extract ⅛ tsp

7. Put one sponge top-side down on a plate and spread with jam, leaving a 1 cm border. Spread the buttercream over the underside of the other sponge and place it cream-side down on top. Dust the top with caster sugar and serve.

   Add in this stepRaspberry jam (seedless is fine) 3 tbspCaster sugar, for dusting 1 tsp