Chocolate Victoria Sponge

Chocolate Victoria Sponge

The usual summer afternoon cake is a classic Victoria sponge; a plain sponge filled with either strawberry jam or strawberry jam and whipped cream, then dusted with icing sugar. I do like this wonderful cake but as you know my loyalty lies with chocolate! So to update this classic summer cake I altered the recipe slightly. The best summer flavour to put with chocolate is strawberries; a match made in heaven! So instead my cake consists of a chocolate sponge filled with the classic strawberries and whipped cream and then dusted with cocoa powder instead of icing sugar. The cocoa powder gives the cake a rich chocolate flavour which contrasts with the sweet whipped cream and fresh English strawberries and finishes it off beautifully!

Chocolate Victoria Sponge

Ingredients:
FOR THE CAKE:
225g margarine
225g Castor sugar

Chocolate Victoria Sponge

4 eggs

2 tablespoons milk
225g self raising flour
25g cocoa powder
FOR THE FILLING:
250ml double cream
2 tablespoon Castor sugar
200g fresh strawberries diced and halved
Cocoa powder for dusting

Method:

1. To make the cake: Preheat the oven to C180. Grease and flour two round 20cm cake tins. 
2. In the bowl of an electric mixer beat the margarine and sugar together until light and fluffy. 
3. Add the eggs one at a time mixing at a low speed after each addition. Add the milk with the last egg. If the mixture curdles don't worry as when you add the flour it will become uncurdled. 
4. Add the flour and cocoa powder and mix at a low speed until just combined. Be careful not to over mix as this will produce a tough cake.  
5. Split the mixture evenly between the two cake tins. Using an off-set spatula spread the mixture evenly around. Make the mixture higher at the edges as the middle will always rise higher then the edges. This helps to produce an even cake. Place in the middle shelf of the oven and cook for between 20 mins - 30 mins. Until the edges of the cake are golden brown and a skewer inserted into the centre of the cake comes out clean. Leave the cakes to cool for around 30minuites.
6. To make the filling: Pour the cream and sugar into a large bowl and mix with a large whisk until the cream is at a stiff peak consistency.
7. Put the bottom layer of the cake onto a plate and then spread over half of the cream. Arrange the strawberries around the edge of the cake and then place the rest of the strawberries in the centre of the cake. Spread the other half of the cream over the top of the strawberries and level out. Place the other cake on top and then dust with cocoa powder.
8. ENJOY!