Classic Victoria Sponge Loaf Cake with Lemon Sponge, Chantilly Cream and Raspberry Jam

Sometimes you just can’t be a classic and Victoria Sponge will always be up there with my favourite type of cake. I added some lemon zest to the sponge and made a chantilly cream instead of buttercream as I find buttercream a bit too sweet, but this is a classic recipe which no one will be able to resist.

1. Line a 19cm x 9cm loaf tin with lightly greased parchment. Cream together 200g soft unsalted butter and 200g golden caster sugar with a wooden spoon or electric mixer until very light and fluffy. The longer you spend on this step the better to ensure the lightest sponge possible.
2. Next add the zest of a lemon or orange and mix briefly. Beat 4 medium eggs in a jug and add to the butter and sugar little by little, mixing well between each addition. If it starts to curdle add a tbsp of flour. Once the eggs are added, fold in the rest of the 200g sifted self-raising flour, 1/2 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 2 tbsp milk. Once just combined and there are no streaks of flour, pour into the prepared tin levelling the top.
3. Bake at 170C for 50 mins to 1 hr. Check if it’s baked all the way through with a wooden skewer. Once baked, leave to cool in the tin before transferring to a wire rack.
4. Once cool, slice the loaf in half and spread with raspberry jam.
5. For the chantilly cream, whip 600ml double cream with a scraped out vanilla pod and 3 tbsps icing sugar until it reaches soft peaks.
6. Spread the cream over the jam, sandwich the cakes together and top with more cream and strawberries. Enjoy this classic bake with a cup of tea.