For an afternoon delight like no other, you have to try a Victoria sponge made with the addition of clotted cream. Not only does it make the sponge extremely indulgent, it makes the texture smoother and taste even richer. Who says a sponge has to be light and fluffy? Improving on the buttery texture and the addition of clotted cream really takes this humble cake into new realms. The Victoria sponge is said to originate from the 19th Century, where ladies in waiting for the throne used to bake this simple sponge as an afternoon treat with tea. Unlike a lot of other recipes though; this one has stood the test of time and can still be found on any takeaway menu, or supermarket shelf if you look in the right places. Recipe The recipe for this lovely cake is fairly straight forward. You’ll find all the ingredients down your local shop or in your larder. You’ll notice that clotted cream has replaced the whipped cream, making it richer and there is slightly more butter than a usual recipe for improved texture and exuberance: • 300g caster sugar • 300g plain flour • 320g unsalted butter • 6 medium eggs • 1 tsp vanilla • 1tsp baking powder • 300-500g clotted cream (dependant on taste) • 1 jar of good quality jam • 50g icing sugar Preparation Start by creaming the caster sugar with the softened butter until a smooth texture has been created. The best way to do this is with a food mixer, but a hand electric mixer is perfectly fine. From here add half the flour and eggs and continue to mix. Add the vanilla, the baking powder and the rest of the flour and eggs and mix for as long as you have patience for. Around 10 minutes is the ideal time but this is not always practical. Spoon the mixture into two greased cake tins and place them in the oven on 180 degrees for around 20-25 minutes. You’ll know the sponge is done when it comes in slightly from the edge of the tin and a knife comes out clean when poked. Decoration It is important to make the cake look grand so once the sponges have been removed from the tin and cooled, it is time to get messy! Although the clotted cream is thick; attempt to mix it with the icing sugar to sweeten it and add a little more vanilla. Lather on the jam over the sponge and then spoon all the cream on top of this and spread until even. Place the second sponge on top and finish by dusting a small amount of icing sugar over the top. Final Touches Finish off the experience by making some cucumber and cream cheese sandwiches. Cut the crusts off and eat these with the cake and a nice mug of Earl Grey tea. This home version of the afternoon tea tastes every bit as good and making it all yourself is extremely satisfying. This is a guest post from Steve, who lives on Brighton takeaway and cake. Not the healthiest diet, but extremely enjoyable.

read more: Jam & Clotted Cream Victoria Sponge – Pure Indulgence (Guest Post)