Victoria Sponge, Whipped Cream and Pears
It is one of my favourite classic desserts and if you are either entertaining or being entertained this cake will go down a treat.
Ingredients
- Sponge
- 240 g butter
- 240 g caster sugar
- 4 large eggs
- 2 tbsp nibbed almond toasted - optional
- 240 g plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1 tsp vanilla extract optional
Syrup
- 50 ml water
- 50 g caster sugar
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
Filling and topping
- 3 tbsp orange marmalade
- 250 ml cream whipped
- 4 halves tinned pears in syrup, sliced
- 3 tbsp nibbed almonds toasted
- Icing Sugar to decorate
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160˚C.
- Grease 2 x 16cm / 7 inch sandwich tins and line the bottom of the tins with a round of baking paper.
- In a large mixing bowl, beat the butter with the sugar until creamy and fluffy. Then add the eggs and the flour, the nibbed almond and the vanilla extract.
- Transfer evenly to the two prepared sandwich tins. Bake for 25-30 minutes, or until a skewer inserted in the centre comes out clean.
- Remove from the oven and transfer to a wire rack, allow to cool.
- Prepare the syrup, in a saucepan, bring to the boil the water, caster sugar and vanilla extract. Remove from the heat and set aside.
- Brush the syrup on the cake to moisten the cake and set aside to cool for 20 minutes.
- Spread some of the marmalade on both sponges.
- In a bowl, place the whipped cream and add the sliced poached pears and toasted nibbed almond.
- Build the cake. Layer the bottom cake with the freshly whipped cream mixture.
- Add the second cake with the marmalade side facing the whipped cream.
- Then, dust with some icing sugar and decorate with some sliced pear.