Victoria Sandwhich

The classic 'Victoria Sandwhich' .... an 'oldie' but certainly a goodie and have you ever wondered how it got its name?  There's a history behind this Victoria sponge cake.  It was named after Queen Victoria, who favoured a slice of the sponge cake with her afternoon tea.  A traditional Victoria sponge consists of jam sandwhiched between 2 layrs of sponge cakes, the top of the cake is not iced or decorated.  If you wish to know more of this history, then read it from  here.

I've never had any formal lessons on dressing up a cake, so I just 'plaster' up the sides since there's extra chocolate mixture and  I see no reason to waste!  Sprinkle on some nibbed almonds, and there you are, a plain Jane no more!

I would prefer to round this piece of yummy cake with a cup of hot tea, sit down, relax and enjoy!

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 8 oz butter/margarine
• 8 oz self-raising flour
• 5 oz caster sugar
• A pinch of salt
• 1 tsp vanilla essence
• Some nibbed almonds lightly toasted
• Jam of your choice

Chocolate topping

• 4 oz cooking chocolate, broken up into pieces
• 3 Tbsp water
• 1 tsp salad oil

Method for the cake

1. Lightly grease and dust two, 8 inch round cake pan.  Keep aside.
2. Sift the self-raising flour with salt and set aside.
3. Cream the butter with sugar till light, fluffy and creamy.
4. Add in the eggs one @ at a time and mix till well incorporated. 
5. Add in the vanilla essence.
6. Lightly fold in the sifted flour, mix well scraping from the bottom and sides of the mixing bowl.
7. Scoop equal amount of mixture into the two cake pans.
8. Bake in preheated oven @ 180 deg C for about 30 mins.  Test with a skewer till it comes out clean.
9. Remove from oven and let cool in pans.
10. Once cooled, sandwhich the 2 cakes with jam.
11. Slowly pour the chocolate mixture onto the cake and decorate as desired.
12. Serve the cake when the topping has set.

Method for the topping

1. Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, add in the water, stir and once melted mix in the oil.