A sweet treat for the weekend, strawberry and rhubarb Victoria sponges
Tilly has just released her latest cookbook called 'Handfuls of Sunshine'.
The book is all about small cakes, muffins and cupcakes.
Today she will be cooking strawberry and rhubarb jam sponges.\
Recipe below:
Strawberry & Rhubarb Jam Victoria Sponges
I am a total sucker for just about any version of a Victoria sponge.
Plain cake, jam and cream – what more could you want? But make them little, individual Victorias and you really have my attention.
The beauty of this recipe lies in its simplicity.
These little cakes are made with cream, not butter, in the batter, meaning that you can mix them all in one bowl, by hand. And anything that gets me closer to a cake with less effort is a win in my book!
Filling them with whipped yoghurt-cream and homemade jam really does make them sing, but any good jam you are in possession of will do the trick!
CAKES
Unsalted butter, to grease
A little plain (all-purpose) flour, to dust
200 ml (7 fl oz) thick (double) cream
165 g (53/4 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste
2 eggs
150 g (51/2 oz) self-raising flour
1/8 teaspoon fine sea salt
TO FILL
200 ml (7 fl oz) thickened (whipping) cream
100 g (31/2 oz) Greek-style yoghurt
1 tablespoon icing (confectioners') sugar mixture, plus extra to dust
1 teaspoon rosewater
160 g (51/2 oz) Strawberry & Rhubarb JamPreheat the oven to 160°C (325°F) fan-forced and grease a 6-hole large muffin tin (with 180 ml/53/4 fl oz capacity holes) well with softened butter. I have a tin with straight-sided cups, which looks lovely, but a regular large muffin tin works just as well. Dust the tin with a little plain flour, tapping out any excess. Make the cake batter by placing the cream, sugar and vanilla in a large mixing bowl and using a hand whisk to combine. Do not overmix or the cream will become too stiff. Add the eggs, one at a time, whisking after each addition. Add the self-raising flour and salt to the bowl, and whisk briefly to form a smooth batter. Divide the batter evenly between the prepared tins, smoothing the tops with a spatula and tapping the tins gently on the bench to remove any air bubbles. Bake in the preheated oven for 15–20 minutes or until the cakes have risen and are cooked through. Allow the cakes to cool in their tins for 10 minutes before carefully turning them out onto a wire rack to cool completely. When ready to assemble the cakes, make the filling by whipping the cream, yoghurt, sugar and rosewater to soft peaks. Split the cakes in half, and top the bottom halves with a generous scoop of the cream mixture. Use the back of a spoon to create a little nest in the cream, then place a spoonful of jam on top. Gently sandwich the tops of the cakes on and dust liberally with icing sugar.
STORE & SHARE These cakes are best served soon after assembling
Strawberry & Rhubarb Jam
500 g (1 lb 2 oz) strawberries, hulled and quartered
300 g (101/2 oz) rhubarb, cut into 2 cm (3/4 inch) pieces
440 g (14 oz) caster (superfine) sugar
125 ml (4 fl oz) lemon juice (about 3–4 lemons)
1 vanilla bean, split and seeds scraped or 1 tablespoon vanilla bean paste
2 teaspoons rosewater (optional)
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F) fan-forced. Place the strawberries, rhubarb, sugar, lemon juice and vanilla bean seeds and pod (or paste) in a large deep baking tray and mix well, making sure that no dry bits of sugar remain. Spread the fruit out into an even layer and place the tray in the preheated oven to cook for 20 minutes, or until the fruit is bubbling around the edges of the tray. Carefully take the tray out of the oven and mash the fruit with a potato masher or fork. Return the tray to the oven and cook for a further 15–20 minutes. Watch the jam carefully at this point as it can bubble over if it is cooked for too long. When the jam has reduced slightly and is bubbling and fragrant, carefully remove the tray from the oven. Give the jam another little mash, stir in the rosewater (if using), then ladle it into a sterilised jar and seal while hot.
STORE & SHAREUnopened jam will keep for up to 3 months in a cool place. Once opened, store in the refrigerator and use within a month.
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