Friday 16 March 2007

Victoria Birthday Sponge



Victoria Birthday Sponge

It was my Mum’s birthday this week, and I had been thinking about just the right cake to make for her for a few weeks. So I asked if she would like chocolate, caramel, lemon, plain with chocolate icing or a hummingbird cake, which I remembered about after reading about Freya’s cupcakes (in Writing at the Kitchen Table) which I thought my Mum would like because she loves pineapple. However all this cake daydreaming was to no avail and what I should have done was just ask, because she said no no she’d like a plain sponge cake with jam, cream and icing on top.

My basic sponge cake is from Nigella Lawson’s How to be a Domestic Goddess. Her Victoria sponge cake. I don’t change the sponge, but I gild the lily a bit by spreading as much jam as I can and using half a pint of double cream (instead of a quarter) which I whisk thick enough that it won’t all ooze out when the top layer is placed on. The icing is just icing sugar and water with a bit of pink food colouring. I was going to use some sprinkles to decorate, but I coloured the icing a bit too bright, so it clashed with them. Luckily the cupboard was not bare and there were sugar flowers waiting for the right occasion.

A classic cake like a plain sponge is like an old friend. You need to visit them every so often ! It’s easy to forget a basic, but it tastes so good – tender, creamy, jammy, sweet. I used Dalfour strawberry jam, as it doesn’t have any added sugar and offsets the sweet cake really well. Happy Birthday Mum.

6 comments:

Anna's kitchen table said...

Happy Birthday to your Mum, KJ!
What a beautiful cake. You're right - sometimes we need to remember the 'oldies but goodies'!!
:-)

xx

Mara said...

Mmm, lovely cake! I like the icing and the sugar flowers on top, so pretty :)

Freya said...

Hope she had a wonderful day! The cake looks lovely and the pink icing is an inspired touch! You'll find another use for the Hummingbird recipe I'm sure!

Kathryn said...

Grr, Blogger ate my comment! Just to say the cake looks gorgeous - the icing is so pretty. And yes - the old faithfuls should never be forgotten. Mmm - that cake looks just so scrumptious!

Paola Westbeek said...

Wow! What a fantastic looking cake! Hats of to you for this one!

paola

julie said...

Your cake is so gorgeous, I bet your Mum was a happy bunny!