Simple Eggless Victorian Sponge

1. Preheat your oven to 180°C.
2. Grease and line the base of a 20 cm round cake tin with baking paper. This cake is soft, so lining really helps when turning it out.
3. In a bowl, stir together 1 cup castor/caster sugar, 1 cup tap water, 1/2 cup oil, 1 tbsp white wine vinegar, and 1 tsp vanilla essence.
4. Keep stirring until the sugar looks mostly dissolved. It does not have to be perfect, just no gritty puddles at the bottom.
5. In a separate bowl, sift together 2 cups of cake flour, 1 tsp of bicarbonate of soda, and 1/4 tsp salt. Don’t skip the sifting; it keeps the sponge light.
6. Pour the wet mixture into the dry ingredients.
7. Gently whisk or stir just until smooth. Don’t overmix here; stop as soon as you don’t see dry flour.
8. Pour the batter into the prepared tin and tap it lightly on the counter to release air bubbles.
9. Bake at 180°C for about 20 mins, or until a cake tester comes out clean and the top springs back when lightly touched.
10. Let the cake cool in the tin for 10 mins, then turn it out onto a rack to cool completely.
11. Repeat the entire sponge recipe to make the second layer.
12. Fully cooled cakes are easier to layer and won’t melt the cream.

Fresh Cream Icing

1. In a cold bowl, whisk together 1 cup whipping cream and 1 cup icing sugar until thick and stiff.
2. Start slow, then increase speed. Stop as soon as it holds soft peaks so it doesn’t turn grainy.

Assemble the Cake

1. Place one sponge layer on a serving plate.
2. Dollop on some of the whipped cream and spread it evenly, right to the edges.
3. Spoon over the strawberry jam and gently spread it on top of the cream.
4. Add the second sponge layer.
5. Spread the remaining whipped cream over the top.
6. Finish with nuts or grated nut shavings for a simple, classic look.
7. Chill the cake for about 30 minutes before slicing if you want neat layers.