← Nouns Cooking · Bakery

Ingredients

• 225 g unsalted butter or baking spread, soft
• 225 g caster sugar
• 4 large eggs, at room temperature
• 225 g Self-raising flour
• 1 tsp Baking powder
• 2 tbsp Milk
• 100 g unsalted butter, soft
• 140 g Icing sugar
• ½ tsp Vanilla extract
• 170 g good strawberry or raspberry jam
• 1 tbsp caster or icing sugar, to dust

Method

1. Heat the oven to 180°C (160°C fan, 350°F). Butter two 20 cm round sandwich tins and line the bases with baking paper.
2. Put the butter, sugar, eggs, flour, baking powder and milk in a large bowl and beat with an electric whisk for about 2 min, just until smooth and creamy.
3. Divide evenly between the tins (weigh them for matching layers) and level the tops.
4. Bake for 20–25 min until golden, springy when pressed and a skewer in the centre comes out clean. Cool in the tins for 5 min, then turn out onto a rack and leave for 30 min until completely cold.
5. Beat the filling butter until soft, then gradually beat in the icing sugar and vanilla until fluffy.
6. Set one sponge top-side down on a plate. Spread with buttercream, then jam, and top with the second sponge. Dust with sugar.

Tips

• Swap the buttercream for 300 ml lightly whipped double cream and a few sliced strawberries; keep it in the fridge.
• Everything should be at room temperature, or the batter can curdle.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

BBC Good Food The Happy Foodie (Mary Berry) Love Food