The perfect cake for afternoon tea
Afternoon tea is a truly British affair and when done properly is the most delightful experience. Each course is a luxury and can be enjoyed by pairing a different tea with each course. To accompany all the delicious teas, everyone loves to indulge in tasty pastries and glorious cakes.
When served at home, afternoon tea would normally consist of one type of cake. This is a different experience in comparison to hotels where a range of different pastries would be served on a tiered stand. Tiered stands were really invented for hotels, which used them to provide sufficient space on usually smaller hotel tables. When at home, the cake would be served centre stage on a cake stand, waiting to be sliced. One of the most popular cakes served at afternoon tea is the Victoria Sponge Cake.
Victoria is a reference to none other than the great Queen Victoria. Now it is worth noting that the cake was not named after her as sponge cake had been in existence for years before; however, she was renowned for enjoying sponge cake especially in the afternoon. It became known as Victoria sponge due to the strong attachment of the Queen and her enjoyment of it. Of course, as we see today, the influence of Royals on certain items is strong and can sway the public in their popularity.
As Victoria Sponge is a very traditional cake, it seems only fitting to share one of my favourite recipes belonging to my mother.
Ingredients:
200g caster sugar
200g butter (take out of the fridge one hour before baking)
4 eggs, beaten
200g self-raising flour
1 tsp baking powder
Pre-heat oven to 190 degrees – very important to start with a warm oven and make sure the cake is placed in the centre of the oven.
Next, you will want to grease your baking tins. You can either use two tins or if you only have one, then you will have to allow the cake to cook and cut in half afterwards.
In a bowl, beat 200g caster sugar and 200g softened butter together until soft and light.
Next gradually add your beaten eggs.
Sift in the flour and fold gradually until you have a slow dripping consistency. Once you have achieved this then you can add to the greased tins.
Bake for 18 minutes or until the cake is firm to touch. Once it is ready take it out of the oven and allow to cool on a rack.
For the filing
100g butter, softened
140g icing sugar, sifted
icing sugar, to decorate
Jam – traditionally raspberry jam would have been used but you can use whichever jam you prefer
To make the filling, beat the 100g softened butter until you have a lovely cream mixture. Next slowly beat in 140g sifted icing sugar. Then you will want to add your filling to one of the sponges and top with your desired jam. Put the second sponge on top and finish the whole cake off with a dusting of icing sugar.
Of course, the best way to enjoy a delicious slice of homemade Victoria Sponge is to have it with a cup of hot tea. As the Victoria sponge cake is served as the last course of the meal, I would recommend finishing strong and enjoying it with a lovely cup of assam tea.
This article was written for Ahmad and recommendations and they have tea pairing recommendations for this menu.