Chef Ally's Victoria Sponge Cake with Atherton Raspberry Jam Recipe

Making the most of the bounty of native Atherton Raspberries growing in our food forest orchard, Chef Ally created a delicious dessert for our Early Spring Menu - a classic sponge cake with origins in the British Victorian era in the 1800s, filled with a house-made jam of Atherton Raspberries (picked from the farm) and Italian meringue buttercream flavoured with vanilla.

Ingredients

Sponge

Butter -cut into 2cm sq at soft room temp - 165g

Sugar - 160g

Lemon - zest of 1

Eggs - 150g (at room temp)

Plain flour - 150g

Baking Powder- 7g

Salt - 4g

Italian Meringue buttercream

Egg white - 60g

Water - 30g

Sugar - 140g

Butter 180g

Vanilla pod - 2 seeds scraped

Salt - 2g

Atherton Raspberry Jam

Atherton raspberries- 300g

Lemon juice - 40g

Sugar - 80g

Method

Sponge

• Set oven to 160oC

• Spray 2 x non stick cake tins (20cm), dust with flour

• Sift flour and baking powder into a bowl, add salt

• In a mixer beat the butter on a medium speed to lighten. Add sugar and zest, beat for a further 4 minutes, scraping down the sides of the bowl throughout

• Gradually add eggs

• Remove the bowl from the mixer and fold in the dry ingredients

• Divide the cake batter between 2 cake tins

• Bake for 20 minutes

• Remove from the oven and allow to cook for 10 mins

• While still warm, remove sponge from cake tins and flip over topside down on baking paper on a flat surface

Italian Meringue buttercream

• Place sugar and water in a saucepan, mix together with a wooden spoon

• Place egg whites in electric mixer with whisk attachment

• Turn on a medium heat and allow sugar syrup to simmer.

• When the temperature hits 115oC turn on mixer to begin whisking

• When the sugar reaches 121oC immediately remove from heat and on low speed setting gradually add sugar to the egg whites

• Allow to whisk on full speed for 4 mins

• Gradually add butter until fully incorporated

• Add vanilla seeds

• Allow to whisk for a further 3 mins until a smooth shiny texture is achieved

• Place mixture into piping bags and leave at tool temperature

Atherton Raspberry Jam

• Place raspberries, sugar and lemon juice in a pot and simmer to 104oC

• Allow to cool

To compile

• With sponges facing presentation side up, spread a layer of Italian meringue buttercream on one.

• On the bottom side of the other sponge spread a layer of Atherton raspberry jam

• Sandwich sponges together

• Dust with icing sugar

• Portion and serve with a cup o tea!