What could be better on a sunny summer’s afternoon than a spot of afternoon tea in the garden with some friends? This recipe shows how you can transform a simple four-ingredient Victoria sponge cake into an array of coconut coated cakes for one.
To make the sponge cake:
Ingredients:
100g margarine
100g caster sugar
2 medium eggs
100g self raising flour
Method:
1. Heat oven to gas mark 4/180°C and grease two 7″ sandwich tins.
2. Cream margarine and sugar until light and fluffy.
3. Beat in eggs, one at a time, adding a little flour with each.
4. Gently fold in remaining flour.
5. Pour mixture into tins and bake for 20–25 minutes until firm to the touch or, when pierced with a skewer, the skewer comes out clean.
6. Remove from oven, turn out onto a baking tray and leave to cool.
7. When completely cool, fill with jam, sandwich the two together and dust with icing sugar.
Having made your Victoria sandwich cake:
1. Take a scone cutter and cut circles from the cake.
2. Cover the top, and all around the side of the cakes, with butter cream, and then roll into desiccated coconut.
3. Slice a strawberry (not all the way through the top), and then fan it out and place on top of your little cake.
Serve along with sandwiches, quiche, a pot of tea or a glass of wine to friends as a delicious and impressive afternoon tea.