Did you know that there is a royal wedding coming up? Oh, I guess there is just a wee bit of media buzz going on to that effect.

Personally, I could care less. I just don’t get the obsession with the royals. I am, however, interested in what the wedding cakes will look like. I hear the groom’s cake is going to be a great big Chocolate Biscuit Cake. Yum.

Anyway, a few months ago I bought the cookbook ‘Bake & Decorate’ by Fiona Cairns because I liked the recipes and photos I saw within. Little did I know that she was to be THE BAKER of the Wills/Kate Wedding Cake. The traditional fruit cake one, that is. The McVities Cake Company is doing the CBC.

Back to Fiona Cairns. This Victoria Sponge Cake is the first recipe that I tried from her cookbook and I liked it very much. Whenever we visit my husband’s family over in Ireland and England I always swoon over the puds that we are served. This would be the kind of thing we would have there. Simple so that the lovely ingredients shine through. And this recipe…..it’s a cake that you can whip up in the food processor. REALLY!

Serve it to the royalty in your home today. You might want to wear a hat whilst you bake it. It’ll get you in a royal wedding kind of mood.

Victoria Sponge Cake

Cake ingredients:

1 1/4 cups self rising flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
3/4 cup plus 2 Tbs sugar
1 tsp vanilla

Filling ingredients:

1/2 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup raspberry or strawberry jam (I used leftover raspberry from this recipe. It was still as delicious as the day I used it in the macarons. I can attest that this jam keeps very well in the fridge.)
confectioners’ sugar for garnish

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350℉.

2. Grease two 8 inch round cake pans. Line the bottoms with parchment paper.

3. Put flour and baking powder into bowl of a food processor (!!!! Yes, really!!!). Add butter, cut into tablespoons, and the sugar, eggs and vanilla. Process until thoroughly blended. Scrape into prepared cake pans.

4. Bake 20-25 minutes or until cake springs back to the touch or until a tester comes out clean.

5. Remove from oven and cool for a couple of minutes. Run a knife around edges to loosen cake from pan. Turn out onto wire racks, peel off paper and allow to cool completely.

6. Lightly whip the cream until soft peaks form. Lay one layer on a serving plate. Fill with cream and jam and place second layer on top. Sift confectioners’ sugar on top.

Recipe from Fiona Cairn’s cookbook Bake & Decorate with very slight rewording.

I will (Ha!) admit some interest in what music will be playing during the wedding reception. These songs won’t make the playlist.
Kite Club-Royal Gums

Robbers On High Street-Crown Victoria

Cheers!