Condensed-milk Victoria sponge cake

March 15, 2019

There's no need to cut and fill this sponge cake - simply spread the whipped cream on top.William Meppem

Time:1-2 hoursServes:10

I love a Victoria sponge but sometimes they are so airy they can be dry. Using a buttery condensed-milk cake base and topping it with unsweetened cream and strawberries produces a lovely moist cake with more character.

Ingredients

250g unsalted butter, softened, plus extra for greasing the tin
½ cup sugar
5 eggs
1 can condensed milk (400g)
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups plain flour, plus extra for flouring the cake tin
2 tsp baking powder
300ml thickened cream
2 punnets strawberries
¼ cup icing sugar, to serve

Method

Heat your oven to 160°C and grease and flour a 22cm-round cake tin.
Combine the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl and beat with an electric hand mixer until pale and fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time and beat into the butter mixture. Add the condensed milk and vanilla and mix well. Sift the flour and baking powder into the mixture and gently fold through, taking care not to overbeat the batter. Pour the cake batter into the tin and tap the base to remove any bubbles.
Bake for 50 minutes, then test with a skewer. If a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean, remove the cake from the oven. If batter clings to the skewer, bake for a further 10 minutes and test again. Allow to cool in the tin on a wire rack for 15 minutes, then remove from the tin and cool completely.
When the cake is cool, whip the thickened cream to soft peaks. Add to the top of the cake and decorate with strawberries. Dust with icing sugar and serve.