Chefette's Victoria Sandwich Sponge Cake

The Victoria Sandwich Sponge Cake is probably the most popular and stock standard cake in the UK. In Australia, I guess our typical type of Birthday cake would be a chocolate mud, well in the UK it is the classic Victoria Sponge. I wouldn't describe the Victoria Sandwich as a sponge by my maybe Aussie definition, but more like a butter or pound cake. The cake was named after Queen Victoria who favoured this cake with her afternoon tea over all other sweet treats. Victoria Sponge recipes barely differ, but as I find this cake a bit too heavy, I have changed the method, which made the cake far less dense.

Victoria Sandwich Sponge Cake

200g caster sugar

200g butter

200g self-raising flour

4 eggs separated

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cream of tartar

2 tablespoons milk

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1. Preheat oven to 180°C and grease and line two baking tins.

2. Beat egg whites and cream of tartar in an electric mixer until soft peaks form, set aside.

3. Cream butter and sugar in an electric mixing bowl and gradually add egg yolks, vanilla bean paste, milk and flour (in that order).

4. Gradually fold egg whites into cake batter.

5. Traditionally you halve the batter and bake two cakes and sandwich them together once baked, however, I separated my batter into halves and coloured some red and baked four individual cakes rather than two. Completely your preference. Be creative!

6. Bake until cake springs back or when a skewer comes out clean.

Assembly 

Victoria Sandwich Butter Cream

100g butter

140g icing sugar

1. Blend butter and icing sugar together in electric mixer until smooth.

In between every layer OR in the middle of your two sandwiches, spread a layer of strawberry or raspberry jam and the Victoria Sandwich Butter cream.

Decoration

Quite often icing sugar is sifted on top, but I used a hard white icing and then piped on some roses in royal icing to finish it off and give it a special touch.

Happy Caking xxx

Chocolate-Chip Cookies (Subway Style)

Chocolate chip cookies are one of the first things I remember cooking at home and at school back in the day. Having a bit of a passion for baking, it's quite often the simple things that I have been striving to perfect like boiling an egg (I struggled with this for years haha shame) or in this case, baking the perfect chocolate chip cookies. 

In this past week I think I have tried four different recipe variations, it's been like an Arnott's factory over here, luckily there is always somewhere to bring these sweets and tasty treats. I wanted to create a nice crunch on the outside with a chewy center, much like your Subway cookie variety. 

I am pleased to say that I think I have finally nailed the chocolate chip cookie! I felt like Monica in the Friends episode where she baked for days trying to find the perfect cookie recipe, until she found it on the back of a Nestle packet, alas, you won't find this recipe on your chocolate chip packet, so please see below. Once again, happy baking and please tell me how you go! xxx

Chefette's Chocolate-Chip Cookies

Ingredients

1 ¼ cups Plain Flour

¾ cup of Self-Raising Lighthouse Cake and Biscuit Flour

170g butter

1 cup brown sugar, tightly packed

½ cup white sugar

1 ½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1 egg

1 egg yolk

2 cups milk chocolate chips (I use Cadbury) 

Method

1.   Preheat the oven to 170°C and line two trays with baking paper.

2.   In an electric mixer, cream together the butter, brown sugar, white sugar and vanilla.

3.   Once combined, add both the egg and egg yolk. Mixture will be nice and creamy and should resemble a coffee coloured buttercream.

4.   Add the flours and mix either by hand or on low in electric mixer with the paddle attachment.

5.   Add chocolate chips either by hand or with a wooden spoon. (Cookie dough will be much less dense than a regular cookie dough.)

6.   Use a tablespoon to measure and roll dough into balls, then slightly flatten with your palm to resemble a patty.

7.   Place dough patties on to tray and be careful to leave enough room to spread out, because they will!

8.   Bake for 10-17 minutes or until cookies become lightly toasted on the edges. If you prefer your cookies with a little more crunch, bake until they are completely golden brown, similarly if you prefer them chewier, bake them for a little less. (Make sure you experiment with a couple of cookies first to see how you like them cooked.)

9.   Allow to cool in trays for a few minutes before transferring them to wire cooling racks (as the shape will be distorted if they are handled whilst piping hot.) Serve and enjoy!