Classic Victoria Sponge Recipe

Cuts into 10 slices

Ingredients:

200g caster sugar

200g softened butter

4 eggs, beaten

200g self-raising flour

1 tsp baking powder

2 tbsp milk

For the filling:

100g butter, softened

140g icing sugar, sifted

Drop vanilla extract (optional)

Half a 340g jar good-quality strawberry jam

Icing sugar, to decorate

Method:

1. Heat oven to 190C/fan 170C/gas 5. Butter two 20cm sandwich tins and line with

non-stick baking paper.

2. In a large bowl, beat 200g caster sugar, 200g softened butter, 4 beaten eggs, 200g

self-raising flour, 1 tsp baking powder and 2 tbsp milk together until you have a

smooth, soft batter.

3. Divide the mixture between the tins, smooth the surface with a spatula or the back

of a spoon.

4. Bake for about 20 minutes until golden and the cake springs back when pressed.

5. Turn onto a cooling rack and leave to cool completely.

6. To make the filling, beat the 100g softened butter until smooth and creamy, then

gradually beat in 140g sifted icing sugar and a drop of vanilla extract (if you’re using

it).

7. Spread the buttercream over the bottom of one of the sponges. Top it with 170g

strawberry jam and sandwich the second sponge on top.

8. Dust with a little icing sugar before serving. Keep in an airtight container and eat

within 2 days.

Recipe Credit: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com, Good Food magazine, May 2005

Photo Credit: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com

Cupcake Recipe

Serves 12

Ingredients:

110g softened butter

110g golden caster sugar

2 large eggs

½ tsp vanilla extract

110g self-raising flour

For the buttercream:

150g softened butter

300g icing sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

3 tbsp milk

Food colouring paste of your choice (optional)

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4 and fill a 12 cupcake tray with cases

2. Using an electric whisk beat 110g softened butter and 100g golden caster sugar

together until pale and fluffy then whisk in 2 large eggs, one at a time, scraping down

the sides of the bowl after each addition

3. Add ½ tsp vanilla extract, 100g self-raising flour and a pinch of salt, whisk until just

combined then spoon the mixture into the cupcake cases

4. Bake for 15 minutes until golden brown and a skewer inserted into the middle of

each cake comes out clean. Leave to cool completely on a wire rack

5. To make the buttercream, whisk 150g softened butter until super soft then add 300g

icing sugar, 1 tsp vanilla extract and a pinch of salt

6. Whisk together until smooth (start off slowly to avoid an icing sugar cloud) then beat

in 3 tbsp milk

7. If wanting to colour, stir in the food colouring now. Spoon or pipe onto the cooled

cupcakes.

Recipe Credit: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com

Photo Credit: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com

Chocolate Brownie Recipe

Cuts into 16 squares or 32 triangles

Ingredients:

185g unsalted butter

185g best dark chocolate

85g plain flour

40g cocoa powder

50g white chocolate

50g milk chocolate

3 large eggs

275g golden caster sugar

Method:

1. Cut 185g unsalted butter into small cubes and tip into a medium bowl. Break 185g

dark chocolate into small pieces and drop into the bowl.

2. Fill a small saucepan about a quarter full of hot water, then sit the bowl on top so it

rests on the rim of the pan, not touching the water. Put over a low heat until the

butter and chocolate have melted, stirring occasionally to mix them.

3. Remove the bowl from the pan. Alternatively, cover the bowl loosely with cling film

and put it in the microwave for 2 minutes on High. Leave the melted mixture to cool

to room temperature.

4. While you wait for the chocolate to cool, position a shelf in the middle of your oven

and turn the oven on to 180C/160C fan/Gas 4.

5. Using a shallow 20cm square tin, cut out a square of non-stick baking parchment to

line the base. Tip 85g plain flour and cocoa powder into a sieve held over the

medium bowl. Tap and shake the sieve so they run through together and you get rid

of any lumps.

6. Chop 50g white chocolate and 50g milk chocolate into chunks on a board.

7. Break 3 large eggs into a large bowl and tip in 275g golden caster sugar. With

an electric mixer on maximum speed, whisk the eggs and sugar. They will look thick

and creamy, like a milkshake. This can take 3-8 minutes, depending on how powerful

your mixer is. You’ll know it’s ready when the mixture becomes really pale and about

double its original volume. Another check is to turn off the mixer, lift out the beaters

and wiggle them from side to side. If the mixture that runs off the beaters leaves a

trail on the surface of the mixture in the bowl for a second or two, you’re there.

8. Pour the cooled chocolate mixture over the eggy mousse, then gently fold together

with a rubber spatula . Plunge the spatula in at one side, take it underneath and bring

it up the opposite side and in again at the middle. Continue going under and over in

a figure of eight, moving the bowl round after each folding so you can get at it from

all sides, until the two mixtures are one and the colour is a mottled dark brown. The

idea is to marry them without knocking out the air, so be as gentle and slow as you

like.

9. Hold the sieve over the bowl of eggy chocolate mixture and resift the cocoa and flour

mixture, shaking the sieve from side to side, to cover the top evenly.

10. Gently fold in this powder using the same figure of eight action as before. The

mixture will look dry and dusty at first, and a bit unpromising, but if you keep going

very gently and patiently, it will end up looking gungy and fudgy. Stop just before

you feel you should, as you don’t want to overdo this mixing.

11. Finally, stir in the white and milk chocolate chunks until they’re dotted throughout.

12. Pour the mixture into the prepared tin, scraping every bit out of the bowl with the

spatula. Gently ease the mixture into the corners of the tin and paddle the spatula

from side to side across the top to level it.

13. Put in the oven and set your timer for 25 mins. When the buzzer goes, open the

oven, pull the shelf out a bit and gently shake the tin. If the brownie wobbles in the

middle, it’s not quite done, so slide it back in and bake for another 5 minutes until

the top has a shiny, papery crust and the sides are just beginning to come away from

the tin. Take out of the oven.

14. Leave the whole thing in the tin until completely cold, then, if you’re using the

brownie tin, lift up the protruding rim slightly and slide the uncut brownie out on its

base. If you’re using a normal tin, lift out the brownie with the foil. Cut into quarters,

then cut each quarter into four squares and finally into triangles.

15. They’ll keep in an airtight container for a good two weeks and in the freezer for up to

a month.

Recipe Credit: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com, Good Food magazine, May 2003

Photo Credit: https://pxhere.com

Chocolate Chip Cookies Recipe

Makes 25

Ingredients:

225g butter, softened

275g plain flour

1 tsp cinnamon or other spices (optional)

75g white or milk chocolate chips

110g caster sugar

Method:

1. Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/Gas 5. Cream the butter in a large bowl with a

wooden spoon or in a food mixer until it is soft. Add the sugar and keep beating until

the mixture is light and fluffy. Sift in the flour and add the chocolate chips and

optional ingredients, if you’re using them. Bring the mixture together with your

hands in a figure-of-eight motion until it forms a dough. You can freeze the dough at

this point.

2. Roll the dough into walnut-sized balls and place them slightly apart from each other

on a baking sheet (you don’t need to butter or line it). Flatten the balls a little with

the palm of your hand and bake them in the oven for around 10-12 minutes until

they are golden brown and slightly firm on top. leave the cookies on a cooling rack

for around 15 minutes before serving.

Recipe credit: https://www.bbcgoodfood.com Photo credit: https://pxhere.com