Upside Down Victoria Sponge Cake

Upside Down Victoria Sponge Cake

Have you ever had an idea come to you like a lightning flash out of the blue?

I was thinking about making a classic Victoria Sponge Cake the other day and ruminating about how to make it a little bit special and the thought hit me that if I made two strawberry upside down cakes and sandwiched them together it would be like a Victoria sponge with the jam built in… a self-jamming cake if you will… and I did. 

The cakes came out spectacularly and I made a whipped cream and cream cheese filling which was light and not too cloying and the whole thing was giving strawberries and cream summer tea party and, well… 

Recipe:

 For the sponge

• 400g strawberries – trimmed and quartered
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 250g golden caster sugar
• 250g butter – soft
• 4 large eggs
• The zest of one orange
• 250g self-raising flour (or mix 250g plain flour with 2 and a half teaspoons baking powder) 
• 1 or 2 tablespoons milk

 

For the creamy filling

• 100g cream cheese
• 150ml double cream
• 1 tablespoon icing (powdered) sugar

 

You will need two 18cm loose-bottom tins which have been greased and lined with parchment or greaseproof paper, including the sides (bring the paper about an inch over the edge)

Preheat the oven to 180°C (160ºC fan/350°F/Gas 4)

Place the cut and trimmed strawberries into a bowl and toss in 1 tablespoon of sugar, divide them evenly between the two cake tins and spread them out over the bottom.  They don’t need to be neat.

To make the sponge cake, add the sugar, orange zest and butter to bowl of your stand-mixer and beat for 5 mins or until pale and fluffy.  Add the eggs and beat to incorporate, then beat in the flour.  Add a splash of milk to slightly loosen the batter.

Divide the batter evenly between the two tins, spreading it out over the strawberries.  Bake for 35 – 40 minutes.  They will be ready when they’re darkly golden, risen and springy to touch and a skewer inserted comes out clean.

Allow them to cool in the tins on a wire rack for 20 mins, then turn them out and flip them over.  Allow them to cool completely whilst you make the creamy filling.

Add the ingredients to a bowl and beat until just stiff.  Slather the cream onto one of the strawberry sides of the upturned cakes and lay the other one strawberry side down on top.  Dust with icing sugar and serve.

Pink Cabbage Ccke stand is by Bordallo Pinheiro and is available here at Divertimenti.

For more cake recipes, check these out on Dom in the Kitchen.

Eat and of course, enjoy!