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Traditional favourites


Victoria Sandwhich cake

Traditional cakes and bakes have been a theme in my life lately.  Between making dessert at the Pantry or swapping recipes for charity cakes and bakes.  Forget making fancy expensive cake recipes, Iv found it's the old classics that sell out first. 

My mum had baked a classic Victoria sandwich, not long ago for a Macmillan coffee morning.  Unfortunately she used one of my grandma's recipes.  My Grandma had many great qualities and I loved her to bits, but she wasn't know for her large serving portions.  My mum's cake turned out kind of flat!!!   

On the positive side it did help me today when it came to baking my own 2 cakes for the Pantry.  I'd baked a few this year myself for the guys at the Express Group, where I used to volunteer.  Lucky for me I used a Mary Berry recipe.   So channelling my mum and the queen of cakes Mary Berry, mine turned out just perfect. 

The Victoria sandwich cakes I baked where filled with a layer of jam and butter cream. Finally I  gave them a dusting of icing sugar.  Served each slice with a dollop of whipped cream.  I might not have been able to eat any of it, however it still feels great baking something that other people can enjoy.  It didn't last long enough for me to take a photo so I've used one from the BBC good food website.  Just follow the link above to bake one your self. 

This type of cake recipe is easy to make dairy free, just use dairy free margarine in place of the butter.

 If you don't or can't use eggs either try using my Wacky cake recipe.  For a large Victoria Sandwich cake, double the recipe qty's and divide the batter between 2 cake tins.  Once baked, cool on a wire rack and then spread jam over one layer before carefully placing one cake on top of the other.  

TOP TIP's:

 - Once cooled keep cakes covered if not fully iced, as they can harden and go stale.  Keep in an air tight box till there needed. 

- If baking for a bake sale, place in a clear top cake box to display them. If you don't have one, leave a variety out on display, and keep the rest in airtight containers.  So any one that comes back to buy a cake later on still gets one that lovely fresh.
 
- Remember the old traditional bakes are loved best xxxx




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