Making a Victoria sandwich with Mansell′s Coffee Shop

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Making a Victoria sandwich with Mansell′s Coffee Shop

The Victoria Sandwich is the quintessential English cake, conjuring up images of old England and afternoon tea.

It is a perennial favourite in baking competitions and is even used by manufacturers to test new cookers.

But is there such a thing as a perfect Victoria sandwich and, if so, how do you make one?

The Ribble Valley Food Trail asked cake maestro Steven Mansell, of Mansell’s Coffee Shop, who gets up at the crack of dawn to prepare his never-to-forgotten buns, for advice.

Steven trained as a chef at Accrington and Rossendale College and the famous Castle Restaurant in Clitheroe, but it was mum Elsie who taught him how to bake a mean cake.

Here he reveals his mum’s Victoria sandwich recipe, which has been down through generations of the Mansell family.



INGREDIENTS

4 medium free-range eggs
8oz (200g) castor sugar
8oz (200g) Stork margarine or butter, at room temperature
8oz (200g) self-raising flour, sifted
¼ jar of good-quality seedless raspberry jam
2oz (50g) icing sugar, for dusting

METHOD

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 180C/350F/gas mark 4.
  2. Cream the butter and sugar together using a wooden spoon or electric hand whisk, until the mixture is light, fluffy and pale.
  3. Lightly whisk the eggs in separate bowl and gradually add to the sugar and margarine mixture. Don’t add the mixture too fast, or it will curdle. If it does curdle, add a bit of flour, which will bring it back.
  4. Fold the flour into the egg mixture.
  5. Divide the mixture between two eight-inch cake tins lined with greaseproof paper and level the tops for an even rise.
  6. Place the cake tins in the centre of the oven and cook for 20 minutes until the sponge springs back when touched.
  7. Remove the tins from the oven and leave the sponges to cool in the tins for five minutes, before peeling off the paper and turning onto a cooling rack.
  8. When cool, sandwich together with the jam and dust with icing sugar.

    Steven’s tips:
  • Placing tea towels under mixing bowls will stop them from slipping.
  • Using a stainless steel spoon to fold the flour into the egg mixture will retain air in the mixture and result in a lighter sponge.
  • Stork margarine mixes better and is great for making cakes!