Take the classic Victoria sponge cake and make it extra special with homemade raspberry jam and vanilla Italian buttercream. This fresh and fruity sponge is bursting with cream and berries, making it the perfect cake for a birthday party, Easter or Mother’s Day.

Temperatures

Bake the sponge until golden and the internal temperature of the cakes read 95-98°C.

Ingredients

For the cake

• 225g caster sugar
• 225g butter, room temperature
• 4 large eggs, room temperature
• 225g self-raising flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 2 tbsp milk (if necessary)
• 1 tsp vanilla bean paste

Berries for decoration

For the jam

• 250g raspberries
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 250g jam sugar

For the cream

• 225g caster sugar
• 45ml water
• 150g egg whites (we used just over 4 large eggs)
• 395g butter, cold and cut into small cubes
• 3/4 tsp vanilla bean paste

Directions

For the cake

• Heat oven to 190°C/ fan 170°C/ gas mark 5. Butter two 20cm sandwich tins and line the bases with non-stick baking paper.
• In a large bowl, beat the butter and sugar together for 5 minutes, until you have a pale, creamy mixture.
• Add the eggs in one at a time and continue to beat after each one. Sift in the flour and baking powder and gently fold it into the mix.
• Stir in the vanilla bean paste, ensuring not to knock the air out.
• The final consistency should be thick but able to easily fall off a spoon (you can add a drop of milk if necessary). Divide the batter evenly between two tins and gently smooth the surface with a spatula.
• Bake for about 20-25 mins until golden and the internal temperature of the cakes read 95-98°C.
• Run a knife around the inside edges of the tins and carefully transfer onto a cooling rack. Leave to come down to room temperature (around 22°C).

For the jam

• These measurements make a small jar of jam, enough for your cake with a little leftover for toast.
• Start by sterilising your jar. Wash thoroughly in warm water and scrape off old labels. Rinse and drain. Place the clean jar in the oven at 160°C/ fan 140°C/ gas mark 2 for 10 minutes.
• Put half of the raspberries and the lemon juice into a preserving pan or large saucepan. Over a high heat, mash the berries thoroughly with a potato masher, then leave to cook for 5 minutes.
• Tip the berries into a sieve over a bowl and drain the juice. Firmly work the pulp through the sieve with a spoon until you are left with just the seeds.
• Discard the seeds and return the berries to the pan. Stir in the sugar on a low heat and then add the remaining raw raspberries and bring to the boil. Boil rapidly until the temperature reads 105°C.

• It may still appear quite runny at this stage but it will thicken as it cools. Skim any sediment off the top, pour into the jars and seal. The jam can be kept for up to 12 months.
• It may still appear quite runny at this stage but it will thicken as it cools. Skim any sediment off the top, pour into the jars and seal. The jam can be kept for up to 12 months.

For the cream

• Set aside 6 tbsp sugar and put the rest into a saucepan with the water. Boil the mixture until it reaches 110°C.
• Whisk your egg whites in a mixer until they start to foam. Add the 6 tbsp sugar and keep whisking until stiff.
• Meanwhile keep an eye on the sugar water and continue to heat until it reaches 115-118°C.
• Pour the sugar water into the centre of the egg whites while whisking until the bowl feels cool to touch and the mixture looks thoroughly whipped and airy.
• Slowly add the butter cubes while continuing to whisk. The mixture may start to appear curdled but don’t worry and keep going. If it looks like it does not want to thicken up and become creamy, put it in the fridge for a little while before whisking again.
• You should finish with a smooth, silky buttercream with a mousse-like texture. Add the vanilla bean paste and give it a final stir.

To finish

• To assemble your cake, smooth a generous layer of jam evenly on to the bottom sandwich. Add a thick layer of buttercream and some chopped strawberries or raspberries, then place the other sandwich on top. We finished ours with another dollop of buttercream, some berries and a sprinkle of icing sugar.