The Perfect Victoria Sponge - Our Family Recipe

Victoria sponge has always been a favourite in our family.  It was one of the first things Mum taught us to make, back when we were little girls in the 80s.  We’d collect the eggs from our own chickens, and choose a jar of jam from the pantry — made from strawberries grown in the garden the summer before.  Everything went into an old Kenwood mixer, then into battered tins, then into a rickety oven, while we squabbled over who got to lick the spoon.

A few weeks ago I made the same recipe with my own girls, just as we did thirty-odd years ago.  We picked tiny strawberries that grow wild in the garden, and a few sprigs of lavender to decorate.  The recipe hasn’t changed in all that time.  Often the cake will come out perfectly imperfect but nobody minds, when it tastes this good.

Last year we asked the wonderfully talented @kieraroseillustration to design us a recipe card for this cake, to share with our community.  Her illustrations turned out beautifully.